The Waking Hours
by restive nature
Summary: Sequel to Dream Within. Dreams don’t often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he’s not quite sure how to take it. MA
1. Going Home

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Rated: up to R

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Timeline: Sequel to Dream Within. Fiction starts about six weeks after FN.

Pairing M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

Chapter One

Going Home

_ Alec recalled the look on Max's face when she'd smiled at him. The beauty of it had transformed her. And somehow, it had supplanted the favored image he had of her, after her shower, naked and raging. Alec's chin dropped down to his chest as he asked himself silently, 'is there any chance at all that she could feel the way for me as I feel for her?' He looked up again at the closed door. Cut off from someone he cared so deeply for. She was in there. With Logan. The man she wanted. The man she always wanted and chose first, even when it hurt her. What would she want with a screw-up X5 former assassin when she could have her heart's desire? 'It's just a dream, man,' he consoled himself. 'Just a strange, wildly impossible dream.'_

Alec shoved his hands deep into his coat pockets. He set off down the road, trying to order the chaos in his mind. There was no point in dwelling on these thoughts and questions that had been whirling through him. Whatever else Max may have said or done, she'd made it abundantly clear that Logan was her choice. First and foremost. Alec, her friend, her partner-in-crime and Terminal City associate just didn't enter into the equation.

As he walked, part of his mind dealt with the ins and outs of maneuvering through crowded areas to not draw attention to himself. It was automatic, as most of his training was. The fact that his life could very well depend on such training was accepted and now ignored. It was like he was on autopilot. If he thought too heavily on blending in, then he'd trip himself up and give something away. He knew that to everyone else, he was wearing the same mask of affected disinterest. But his wasn't disinterest for the world at large. Rather, it was disinterest in himself. He couldn't afford, and more than that, didn't want to take the time to dissect the emotions and feelings that were a swirling vortex, centered on his aching heart.

He was almost halfway back to TC when a tiny voice broke that vortex. _'Alec!'_ His teeth gnashed together. He could hear her, calling for him. He shook his head clear, continuing on his path. He could still hear the desperation in her voice as she had panicked. And it had been him that she'd been calling out for. Her voice, so tired and brimming with pain. And he had eventually walked away. He heard it again, a little louder this time and he stumbled slightly, though no one noticed, or if they did, cared. He rested a hand on the building closest to him, little caring if people were to stare at him right now. His head bowed, he tried to thrust away the memory of Max, burrowed in his arms, tears spilling hotly over his chest.

_'Alec?' _He grunted, low in his throat. Damn! He had just left Logan's place. Was he going to be tormented like this from now on? Her voice in his mind every second, every moment of every day for the rest of his life? He was not prepared for the hand that grabbed at his arm. But even as he swung around, his body tensing to throw off whatever attack was coming his way. His mind, still on autopilot in the mode of Manticore soldier told him to strike first. His eyes took in the form that had slipped up behind him, surprising him even as his hand came up.

And stopped mid-swing.

"It's about time," a smooth voice chuckled. "Didn't you hear me calling you?"

"Max!" he gasped. She grinned up at him, apparently pleased with herself for actually being able to sneak up on him. She glanced at his hand, still in the air and Alec let it drop, full of awkward embarrassment. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, though he regretted the tone. The slight twinge of embarrassment colored his words, as was the swelling concern for her.

Max gestured at him to keep walking. Alec didn't want to, but the soldier inside realized that they were drawing too much attention. So he turned and shortened the length of his stride so that she could keep up. It was something he did regularly, something so habitual that he barely recognized the action anymore. It was just another subtle slide he made to accommodate her. Another way he tried to keep her by his side.

"You're supposed to be resting," he tried again. And even though he knew that that had been what the doctor had ordered, he couldn't help but feel a small amount of relief that she was here now. Things weren't so very far gone between them that the last few hours were insurmountable. _'As friends'_ he stiffly reminded himself. Nothing more than that.

"I can do that just as well at TC," she countered, gingerly shrugging her shoulder.

"You shouldn't be moving around," Alec argued, wincing inwardly at how pale her face was. Enough so that the bandage that should have been stark white against her complexion looked barely there. "The doc said you needed to rest for a few days. That was a nasty fall you took."

"Believe me I know," Max spoke sarcastically, but to Alec's hypersensitive ear, it didn't hold the rancor that usually threaded her voice. "I'm the one who took it, remember?"

"Yeah, I know that Max," he smiled wistfully. Their friendship was being rapidly re-established, at least to his mind. Although it seemed softened somehow. There was something missing. And it wasn't the anger in her voice. Maybe it was the way that her eyes held his for longer than just the prerequisite moment. Maybe it was the fact that she wasn't holding herself so stiffly. And while Alec catalogued all these physical interpretations of the things that stressed her out, he wondered at the change. Had this accident been something that could be beneficial to her in the long run? Had she finally taken the broad hint life threw at her that she needed to slow down a little and relax. Take things as they came?

"Look," Max finally sighed. "I could have stayed at Logan's. But I didn't want to. So I figured it'd be easier to get back into TC if I had someone on the outside to… to help me." She didn't quite avert her face in time and Alec was stunned to hear the admission and see the slight tinge of red to her cheeks. Was she actually admitting that she needed help? That she wanted it. He couldn't help the rueful grin that spread over his lips.

"You know we would have arranged something Maxie," he chuckled. And they would have. Whoever would be on guard duty could have had her inside the perimeter fence in minutes with a little warning.

"I know," she replied easily. "But I figured why bother everyone else when you were already out here."

Alec knew that he should have let it rest. But her actions all day, from reluctantly heading out to Logan's, to almost turning back from the supposed love of her life. All the way up to her waking and panicked reaction, the comfort she'd taken from him and not her former boyfriend and her being here now. None of it made sense to him. And like a sore tooth, he just kept probing at it. Thinking that maybe if he pushed hard enough, something would shake loose and he could hopefully return to the mundaneness of his life. Where he didn't think these all-consuming thoughts of Max.

"What about Original Cindy?" he demanded. "Logan was going to call her to help take care of you. She's gonna be disappointed that she didn't get the chance to see you."

"I know," Max admitted softly. Another surprise. Usually, if one were to criticize Max's actions, she rounded vehemently on that person, with either words or deed. "But hopefully I'll get the chance to see her sooner rather than later."

Alec frowned at this attitude. Max knew they were on the verge of war, right? Or was she still slightly caught up in the dream that Dr. Carr had said she'd had. He wondered if he should remind her of where they were here and now, but before he could, she was speaking again.

"Alec, can I ask you something?" She spoke so hesitantly that Alec was again caught off guard.

"Uh, I think you just did," he muttered cheekily, and then flinched slightly, expecting her arm to shoot out and connect on the nearest body part of his. And a second later when he glanced down at her, she was just rolling her eyes at him.

"Smart ass," she chuckled. Well, that was odd, but pleasant. It had him reeling.

"So ask," he prompted.

"Did Carr tell you about… after?" she spoke slowly, apparently trying to gauge just how much Alec knew. He nodded easily.

'You mean about you being caught up in a dream and being confused at first when you woke up?" Max nodded and Alec shrugged. "What about it?"

"W-well," she began, stammering slightly, "I just wanted to explain… you know… my reaction. I mean, it wasn't really me, I know. But I don't want you to think… well…"

"It's okay Max," he grinned. Seeing her flustered was kind of cute. But as soon as that thought crossed his mind, he immediately shut it down. He couldn't continue thinking of her in this vein. That was surely the way to madness. And he'd most definitely had enough of that misery after Rachel. His mouth moved quickly to take his mind away from that path of pain as well. "So what was your dream about? If you don't mind me asking."

She glanced up at him and he was surprised to see that faint blush again. He glanced away sure now that she'd been dreaming something that he really wanted no part of. Probably as he'd first thought, about Logan. The man was, after all, a very large part of Max's life. Before Alec had known her and after he'd become entwined in her life. But a little voice in the back of his mind insisted that he'd actually known Max, or at least of her for a lot longer than Logan. And the possessive part of him that he tried to ignore laid claim on that fact alone. Max was his own kind, not Logan's. And at least he had the satisfaction that in truth; nothing could ever change that fact.

"Never mind," he sighed, picking up the pace a little. And then bit of a muffled curse when he glanced back at her. He felt like kicking himself as her features tightened slightly, her lips pressing together. It wouldn't have bothered him, but for the slight movement of her hand stealing up to her face, stopped abruptly. Of course he shouldn't be hurrying her along, no matter what the need to reach safety was. She'd trusted him to get her back into TC in one whole piece. Exhausting her along the way wouldn't help accomplish that. Alec wondered if she would be open to letting herself lean on him for a little while, but he dismissed that thought quickly.

"Funny, huh?" Max fought off a yawn as she caught up the few steps that he'd gained on her.

"What is?" Alec muttered. He could see nothing entertaining about their current position. Especially when he caught sight of the group of sector cops across the street. Carefully, he caught her elbow, as if he were simply being a gentleman and with a short squeeze, brought them to Max's attention as well. She nodded and continued to walk slowly.

"It's just that I slept for so long," she continued on the thread of conversation she'd started. "And I'm still tired."

"All the more reason to get home, huh?" Alec half-smiled. Suddenly he was feeling as tired as she had claimed to be. He just wanted to get back to TC and gnaw over all the things he couldn't do or have and then try and drink himself into a stupor. With any luck, he'd be back to his old self by morning. He glanced around, recognizing the street they were on immediately. His mind quickly mapped the possible escapes and he closed his eyes in regret.

"What is it?" Max asked, concern in her voice. Apparently, she was paying a lot more attention to the clues and hints his body was giving off than she used to.

"We're going to have to take the sewers," he ground out. It was no secret that he hated taking that route.

"Well," Max shrugged one shoulder, then winced at the action. "I was hoping to get a bath tonight. May as well give myself a really good reason." Alec glared at her a moment. When had their positions gotten so reversed? He was grumpy and she was shrugging off that crud that surrounded them. Alec just scoffed at his musings. He glanced around and then led the way through an alley. There was a sector checkpoint just down the street from where they had been. And that route wasn't open to them. So if they couldn't go through, they'd go under. And the alley, which had once been a true street, offered the same amenity of the streets, complete with sewer manhole.

After a quick glance around and Max acting as lookout, Alec cleared the cover and pulled it off the hole. Aromas, conflicting and nauseating drifted up to them and both transgenics recoiled slightly. "Can you manage?" he asked carefully. Again, this was wary ground between them. Max didn't take kindly to pity. But she simply bit at her lower lip, her eyes dark.

"Normally, yeah," she murmured. "But Dr. Carr warned me to be careful about jarring myself right now. So jumping is out."

"Well, I can lower you down," Alec mused, gauging the distance. Which looked to be about ten feet from the hole to the bottom. "Or I can call for back-up."

"Don't want to wait," Max decided softly. She lowered herself to a sitting position, her legs already in the hole. She held her hands up to Alec who was surprised, yet again, that she was so quick to fall in with one of his plans. He hurried to the other side, opposite her and lay down on the ground. He took her forearms in his outstretched hands, careful of her other injuries. Bracing himself, he nodded to give her the go ahead. Max scooted forward until she slid off the edge and straightened into a downward drop into the sewer.

Alec inched his own body further after taking another glance around the deserted street. No one was watching. He swiftly had his upper torso into the hole, but it wasn't quite enough. "Max," he warned, "you just might have to drop the last bit."

"Uh uh," her voice floated up to him. "Swing me forward, there's a ledge." Alec complied and in seconds he had her secure along a half foot wide ledge. He grinned down at her, then pulled back to check the street again. Still nothing. Their luck was holding. And now for himself. He knew he'd have to time it perfectly. With care, he eased himself in and hung there, his left hand the only one available, since he had the manhole cover in the other. He pulled it, from right to left until there were scant inches left open for his hand.

With a small grunt, he yanked the cover into place from underneath as he pulled his left hand free. He dropped down, landing with characteristic grace. He stared up at the grate; pleased to see that his calculations were correct and the grate was sitting comfortably in it's required groove.

"Nice," Max scoffed.

"Thanks," he chuckled. Was she actually complimenting him about something?

"Not that," she muttered. "You splashed crap all over my pants." Alec shrugged, his mood suddenly elevated. They were back on familiar territory. At least personality wise.

"Well you knew you were gonna have to get in it sooner or later," he argued affably. "I was just facilitating a mild induction."

"True," Max sighed. "Just be glad that you didn't splash my face with it. Then I'd really have to…"

"Kick my ass," he finished for her tiredly. "Yeah yeah, I know."

"That's not what I was gonna say," she protested. "Really," she asserted when he raised a single eyebrow in her direction.

"So then what would you have to do?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. He grew instantly wary when he caught the slightly malicious glint in her eyes.

"This!" It was all the warning that he received as Max stomped her foot in the muck, angling her foot in such a way that it splashed like a mini-tidal wave all over his jeans. Alec stared at her in mild horror as she giggled at him.

"Thanks," he muttered. "Thanks a lot."

"Just returning the favor," she returned impishly as she set off ahead of him. Alec almost gaped at her but returned to himself with a shake of his head and hurried to catch up. He didn't know quite what to say, which was unusual for him. Any cheeky comment he might dare could really upset the balance Max was creating between them. And as unsettling as the sudden change was for him, he couldn't fault the outcome of a relaxed, smiling Max. He wondered what had happened between the time he'd left the spare room at Logan's house and when she'd caught up to him. And then realized what it probably was that had cheered her so immensely. She and Logan, together, bonding, making a connection that just didn't exist between the two transgenics. Alec grimaced and ducked his head, trying to concentrate on not stepping in too deep an area of sludge.

'So you wanted to know what my dream was about?" Max announced calmly. Alec's head snapped up. She was only a few feet ahead of him but her words could have been shouted in his ear for the effect they had on him. At this point, he was quite certain that he did not want to know.

"You don't have to tell me," he ground out. "I wasn't trying to pry. I mean, I just assumed that you'd remember it all." _Oh please let her not remember._ "Sometimes there's just too much and you were asleep a long time. And you know, people just don't dream continuously through the night. I mean, I think I read somewhere that people dream like anywhere up to five or six different scenarios on a good night." Max had stopped and turned to stare at him, her lip twitching and Alec realized belatedly that he was babbling.

"I remember," she stated in low tones, her eyes softening. More than that, a strange miasma of pain seemed to fill her face and Alec felt a twinge of remorse for ever having introduced the topic in the first place. "It was just one dream. I remember it all." He was puzzled when she winced and her hand strayed to hover over her abdomen. Her face looked peaked and Alec stepped forward, at a loss of what to do beyond that.

"Bad?" he asked gently. Max, whose eyes hadn't adjusted to his movement forward, tilted her head back so that she didn't seem to be looking through him anymore. A sad smile crossed her features and her hand dropped to the side.

"No, not really," she sighed. "It was just one of those dreams where…"

"Everything was too good to be true?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. He knew all about dreams like that.

"Yeah," she nodded. Then turned to continue walking. Alec fell into step beside her. At least she wasn't sharing the painful details. He didn't think he could stretch his masochistic tendencies that far to actively listen about her fantasies about Logan. "But at the same time, it wasn't."

"What do you mean?" he asked carefully, hoping she'd continue in the vein of generalizations.

"Well, it made me think," Max admitted as she chewed at her lower lip. "You know, things that could happen. Things that might actually be possible." She must have caught the sudden arching of his eyebrows, as she gave a rueful chuckle. "It wasn't all bad. And at the same time it wasn't all good. Crap was still happening. But I don't know. It felt like I was in a better place in the end, despite that crap."

"The future according to Maxie, huh?" Alec teased. He smiled down at her, pleased to see the slight turning up of the corners of her mouth.

"I guess," she sighed. They stopped again, for different reasons. Max turned completely so that she was facing him. Alec watched her warily. "Do you ever have dreams like that Alec?" Her face, her tone, her stance was so gentle, so supportive right from the get-go that Alec felt his body reacting instinctively to the promise that her voice held. If he'd just let go, take a chance to admit what he really wanted. But the instant he felt his tongue press against his teeth to start forming the words, he recoiled. He just couldn't afford to let himself open up.

So as he quickly mentally backpedaled and thought up some smart ass remark, he opened his mouth. But her hand reached out swiftly to settle on his forearm. "And don't try to foist that tired old 'living the American dream, booze, women, cars and sex garbage off on me. I know there's got to be more than that." He gaped at her. How could she have known? That those words had popped into his head. That it was simply a cover-up. She stared up at him intently and then smiled, squeezing his arm softly. "It's okay Alec," she reassured gently. "You're allowed to want more. You've got that right, same as everybody else. God knows I want more from this life than what I've currently got."

He weighed those words. Somehow, in this dank, darkened sewer an avenue of opportunity was presenting itself to him. He knew then, that their friendship was progressing further. Certainly, he was sure that there would be some remnants left of the stand-offs they created for the sheer fun of their verbal and sometimes physical sparring. And Alec realized that Max was definitely one woman who knew how to keep secrets. She had even gone so far to admit her own to him. He could trust her to reciprocate and hold his own in her heart.

"Yeah Max,' he finally admitted, unable to meet her eyes. Instead, he stared at the exit point above them. "Sometimes I want more."

"Tell me," she urged quietly, her thumb stroking comfortingly over his wrist, bare beneath his jacket.

He sighed heavily, still unable to look at her. "I want… a place." Once he'd admitted that, it seemed to him as if a dam broke inside him, all the hopes and dreams pouring out of him. "I want someplace where we can walk around free. Where we don't have to worry about people trying to kill us or being blamed for everything Manticore put us through because we had no choices. I want people to see that there's more to us than just our genetics. And I want a family someday. One that's defined by more than just sharing a crappy childhood home that didn't give a damn about us. I want to see if I'd ever be good at something other than assassination and scamming and lying to people. I want more." His eyes finally fell to hers, ridiculously pleased to see that his words had affected her, if the unshed tears glimmering in her eyes were any indication. But his teeth snapped down on the last words his mind churned forth. _'I want you.'_

Instead, he gestured upwards. "We're here." Her hand stilled on his wrist and he glanced down at it. Her gaze followed his and with one last squeeze, she let him loose. "I'll head up and get a ladder, okay?" She nodded and folded her arms criss cross over her stomach.

Alec steeled himself up for the last part of the mini-mission and jumped upwards, catching at the grate that covered one of their fiercely guarded exit points. He saw the guards a short distance away and let loose the call signal even as his feet scrambled for purchase in the crumbling shallow shelf just to the side of the grate. The guards moved swiftly to return the proper whistle, the code giving each other the all clear signs.

As they moved to remove the grate and one of them caught at Alec's hands; he heard Max's voice whisper up to him. "I promise Alec, right here and now. I'm gonna do everything in my power to make those dreams of yours come true." And it wasn't the words; the promise she'd sworn that captivated him. It was the sheer determined strength in her voice.


	2. Alive And Well

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Rated: up to R

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Timeline: Sequel to Dream Within. Fiction starts about six weeks after FN.

Pairing M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

A/N- My apologies to everyone that this has taken so long to come out. I won't bore you with excuses as to why. But I hope you enjoy. And may the next chapter be more swift in it's coming.

Chapter Two

Alive And Well

"Here ya go Alec," one of the perimeter guards smiled as he pulled forth an old, rickety wooden ladder. Alec had no idea where he'd come up with the piece of junk. But his mind didn't have to wander too far. There were all sorts of bits and pieces left lying around Terminal City that the new inhabitants thought might come in handy. Alec would have preferred a nice, solid, new aluminum ladder. But Max wanted out of the sewer with a vengeance. And after smelling the mixture of crud-like aromas emanating from his jeans, he really didn't blame her.

"Thanks Mack," he nodded, taking the ladder from one of the two sentry guards on post at this sector of their home. Carefully they lowered the weather swollen wooden implement into the hole. Alec could see that Max had backed up a little bit to allow them room to maneuver the wieldy ladder into position for her. Alec was grateful that when he'd made the request that Mack and Graham hadn't asked questions. Unfortunately, if you looked at it from certain quarters, they'd just blithely followed orders. But he shut down that errant thought for the moment. Time enough to think on it later. They had a damsel in distress to rescue.

A grin lit his face, thinking how Max would respond to that. Well, at least the old Max. She'd hit him, verbally castigate him and then hit him again for good measure. The new Max, well, there was no telling how she would handle his attitude. And he wasn't quite sure that he wanted to test that out. Mack and Graham held the ladder steady as Alec glanced around the area, looking out for any bystanders who definitely did not need to discover this bolt hole into Terminal City.

"Thanks guys," Max muttered as she ascended the last few steps. Alec turned back to see her taking Graham's hand as she found footing on solid ground. But she let him go just as swiftly and Alec found himself watching her as she straightened her clothes to the best of her ability. _'Just to make sure she's not dizzy or anything,'_ he assured himself. But as his eyes followed the trail her hand made in soothing down her long, slightly tangled hair, he had to forcibly shake himself out the state he was finding himself in. Not quite catatonic, more like Max-atonic. He smirked slightly as that registered. Whatever state it was, he really couldn't afford to let himself be in it too awful much.

"So have you guys perfected your scenario for incoming wounded?" Max asked of the two soldiers. Mack and Graham were both nodding. It was something that had been addressed weeks ago. And finally, after many ideas were thrown out, each member of the security team were given the clearance to deal with each incoming on a case by case basis. The only determination after transgenics and transhumans made it to Terminal City after the siege started, was to ensure a debriefing with the command center. Even if the trannies knew each other from before, that was no guarantee that the person coming in was the correct one.

Alec tuned out their explanations to Max, seeing how he had helped a good majority of the Sec. Teams come up with their plans and had laid in supplies as each needed. "Sorry guys," he interrupted. "We need to get going. Max, you can interrogate them later." He winced inwardly as he said it, certainly not meaning to sound so short tempered. But she let it slide with a small nod.

"Thanks again Mack," she grinned and then turned to his partner. "You too Graham." Alec was stunned for more reason than one. First of all, he wasn't sure when Max had met either of the transgenics, let alone know their names. But that was explainable. She had access to all the security information. And she might have heard he himself use Mack's name when he came up top. But not all the transgenics were listed by the names they had given themselves. Some, like Graham, were still designation only while they tried on appellations until they found one they were comfortable with Graham as one such as that.

Secondly, since when did the approval of a rogue '09er become so important to those that had been left behind. Alec stared, almost incredulous as both men gleamed under Max's attention. A surge of jealousy began to roil in his stomach, until Alec forced himself to look away. It was attention such as he'd always wanted for himself from her. Just a moment where there was no rancor, just friendly give and take. But as his eyes focused on the only woman present at the moment, he realized too that Max was lost in thought. And the other men had lost the little attention she'd paid them. That seemed a little more normal.

"So we'll stop by command," Max began to say as they walked towards the internal part of the community.

"Uh no," Alec shook his head. "I don't think so. Doctor Carr said you needed to rest. So that's what you're going to do," Alec decided.

"Yeah," Max agreed quickly. "That's fine. But after I go to command."

Alec sighed. He could see that she was after something, although what he had no idea. But after the scare she had given him, all of them, he was bound and determined to follow Doctor's orders. Even as the rational part of his mind assured him that he wasn't the only one to always be getting into scrapes and that it was no guarantee that he'd keep her safe always. He could pretend, at least for a little while.

"It's not a big deal Alec," she continued softly. "I swear, I just need to stop by command, check on one or two minor things and then I will hightail it right to my apartment and put my butt in bed."

"You promise?" Alec queried with another sigh. He figured that it would be simple enough to watch her for signs of fatigue. At the first hint that she was lagging, well, lagging more than she already was, he'd find some excuse to whisk her off to bed. He immediately felt the slight blush creep up as his cheeks as he mentally chastised himself. No, he would escort her to her domicile and ensure that she engaged in the rest she needed. There, that sounded much more professional.

As they walked, Alec kept a running internal monologue of things that needed attention in the immediate future so as not to continue thinking about the unbidden images of Max lounging across his bed. Or her bed. Or any damn soft, flat surface that he could think of. The only trouble was that those blasted geniuses at Manticore had certainly seen to it that the X series was certainly capable of multi-tasking.

But soon enough they had arrived at their headquarters. And only then did Alec realize that he had been uncharacteristically silent during the whole quick trip. He drew his eyebrows together once he realized that and caught on to the fact that Max was giving him another one of those mysteriously feminine assessing gazes. His mind whirled desperately as he strove to come up with some inane quip to throw her off the scent. But he knew he was caught when she grinned suddenly and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Finished with the daydreaming?" she asked bemusedly as she pulled open the slightly heavy steel door that led into the building.

"What makes you think I was daydreaming?" he demanded, slightly cross at how slow his mental reaction time to her seemed to be getting. She was one, or more steps ahead of him this whole jaunt back to Terminal City and it was one of the most uncomfortable sensations, asides from Psy-ops that he'd ever endured.

Of course, all she gave him for a hint was that enigmatic smile and the slight drop of her eyes downwards. Alec froze as her eyes came quickly back up to meet his and her smile grew wider. "The body never lies Alec," she chuckled and then ducked away from him. Reflexively, he glanced down, horrified at what he might possibly see. But to his relief and puzzlement, everything was normal. Of course he would have noticed that sense of discomfort. He knew it well enough the past few months after his head was full of thoughts of her. But this time he hadn't, which meant his body hadn't, but she'd made him think it had.

"Bitch!" His mouth snapped shut on the word, wincing as he knew that her transgenic hearing would have picked it up. He certainly hadn't been quiet in saying it.

"Your eyes were unfocused, your shoulders tense and you were shuffling your feet!" she called back to him. "Plus you were way too quiet, even for serious transgenic thought." There was a small pause. "And I heard that! Brat!"

Despite his nanosecond of ire with her, Alec was ridiculously pleased. Since when did Max ever pay enough attention to him to be able to catalogue the physical symptoms of a state he was so very rarely in? With his mood again on the upward swing of things, he chased after her, catching up as she entered the nexus of their daily lives.

"Hey Mole!" he heard her call out as she wove her way through the area. She was nodding to various people, once again puzzling him as she seemed to know everyone. "Lexan, how's it going?"

And like a ship breaking the waves, people made way for her, only to stare after her disconsolately as she moved past them with small hints of the sudden change in her attitude rippling amongst them. Alec watched her, scrutinizing what it was that was so different this time than every other time she had walked into this building.

Well there was one major clue in what he'd just asked himself. Walked, was the operative word. Normally she pounded through HQ, her stride determined and forceful. She never had time to stop and smell the roses. Or as normals called it, chit-chat. But now, she was winding her way leisurely through the small throng. A word for everyone present on her lips. And her smile. Astonishing in the fact that there was one present on her face. Usually she was scowling, or frowning, or yelling.

"Endorphins," Alec whispered to himself. That had to be it. Her body was producing adrenalin to help her cope with her injury and she was riding a natural high with it. And as soon as they began to wear off, she'd come crashing down and be back to her normal self. It made sense to him. But even so, he was resolved to get her out of there before that inevitable fall happened and she took it out on someone other than her typical punching bag.

She had stopped then, nearby at Luke's desk. Luke, Dix and another transhuman were clustered around the computer, while a transgenic, X-5 or X-6 by the look of him, waited rather impatiently as they input some data. All of this registered on Alec's mind as he ambled over towards them. The transgenic must have been a newbie. In the final stage of clearance. Max reached them before he did though.

"Hey Dix, Luke, Trey," she greeted each transhuman in turn and then looked straight at the newbie. "Jiminy, nice to see ya. How's it goin'?"

Alec would have thought that Max knew the guy. Perhaps they'd been in the same unit before some of them ran. For Jiminy certainly wasn't one of her brothers names, and he knew all those.That would have been his initial assessment, but for the fact that Max drew in a breath so quickly, it looked as if she might choke on it. Her eyes went slightly wide as she stared at the newbie. But the young man was just as puzzled as she was.

"Huh?" was the eloquent reply to her greeting. The young man glanced around at the others and seemed to note Alec making his way over. "What was that?"

"Oh," Max stumbled over her words and bit at her lower lip, her eyebrows coming together. "Sorry, thought you were somebody else," she stammered out. The moment passed as the transgenic turned back to what they were doing.

"Name?" Luke asked of the newbie as Alec came up to Max's side. She didn't acknowledge him, but instead watched as Luke continued to input data, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

"Don't have one yet," the transgenic answered with an apologetic shrug. This was nothing knew. Not all of the aliases that they'd worked under felt comfortable, some of them didn't want to be reminded of the work they'd done while under those pseudonyms.

"Let us know when you do," Dix instructed genially, "so we can update our records please." The new transgenic glanced at Max, who was watching him now in a curious manner.

"I suppose Jiminy would work as well as anything else," he threw out cautiously, then turned to Max. "If you don't mind, that is," he tacked on, rather deferentially.

"No, not at all," she replied after a momentary pause. "Jiminy was a nickname for another guy I knew. Jim!" she blurted out. "His name was Jim. But everyone called him Jiminy. But that was a long time ago. Long time. Go ahead and use it. If you want."

Alec knew that his eyebrow's were furrowing. The more she babbled, the deeper the lines on his forehead grew. Max only ever babbled when she was nervous about something, or had a secret to hide. Was it possible that she knew this guy and didn't want anyone to realize it? But as he pondered what possible motivation she could possibly have for that, he also realized that there was an awkward silence permeating the group.

"I don't know Max," he drawled with a trace of a grin on his face. "He doesn't look like a cricket to me." Four of the five pairs of eyes that swung towards him were completely puzzled. But more than understanding what he was referring to, Max was also smiling in kind. Was she relieved that he had just helped her smooth over an awkward moment? Maybe so, because she took the new topic and ran with it.

"God Alec," she scoffed. "How much useless television and movie trivia do you have jammed in that head of yours? " She turned to the others. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear that Manticore had a useless pop culture 101 class to make it more effective for the soldiers to pass among the norms." She glanced around and then rolled her eyes. "Oh please, tell me they didn't."

"What?" Jiminy frowned, then seemed to quickly think her logic through. Obviously she was assuming information based on their lack of answer. "Oh no," he shook his head. "Not that I knew of anyway. We studied human history and whatnot. Any pop culture had to come from exposure during missions."

"And Alec here was quite the sponge, huh?" Max grinned, poking Alec in his ribs. He flinched back and grabbed her finger before she could poke him again.

"What can I say Maxie?" he asked irreverently. "I've always had an agile mind." He glanced at the other fellas. "And an agile body and an agile!"

"Don't even go there," Max cried out, even as Trey grinned wickedly. Ale closed his mouth and winked at the other males. They all knew, Max included, just what he could have been referring to.

"So are we done here?" he demanded of Max, seeing that she was beginning to flag, just a little again. But she shook her head determinedly.

"One more thing," she assured him. "I need to find Joshua." Alec held her glance for a moment, trying to impart just how important this was to her. If he had had his way, he would have had her in bed moments after they'd entered TC and summoned Joshua to her apartment. But no, she was stubborn enough to still want to coddle the big dog man and would always end up seeking him out.

"All right," he conceded. He addressed Dix, though his eyes didn't leave hers. "Where's Joshua at right now?"

"Ah," Dix quickly glanced through the papers scattered amongst the desk. "I think he said he was going to be over at the commissary for a while, before he headed back to his apartment."

"Can somebody get him?" Alec asked, then tacked on, "please?"

"No need," Mole announced in his deep, loud voice. Alec and the rest of the group glanced up at the lizard-like transgenic. But Mole just calmly gestured to the main door with his cigar laden hand. Their heads swung around to see Joshua coming through the hall. Alec turned immediately to Max, to remind her of her promise to head off to bed, now that she had seen Joshua. But she was already moving towards her friend. Well, almost running, as quickly as she was moving.

"Hey little fella!" Joshua greeted her excitedly. His hands were full of brown paper bags, which he was juggling about with caution. "Took supper to Mack and Graham. Said Max had come home."

"Yeah, I did Joshua," Max nodded, waiting while he laid his packages down on the nearest desk. "I'm home," she repeated the word, so softly it was almost a sigh. But her words carried through the silent room.

"Little fella good?" Joshua asked, with a modicum of concern in his voice. Everyone at TC had known within the hour about Max's accident. Most weren't too concerned right away, but for the people she was closest to. But as time went on and things looked slightly more bleak, then the rest of their small nation had begun to take notice. And Joshua's nervous roaming and pitiful whimpering while he waited for word of his fallen friend had been quite the sight.

Alec, even from the distance he was behind her, could see the tension flowing from Max's body, now that she was back in the safety of what he was starting to understand, her true home. And he was relieved. To a degree. If only she could relax around all of them like that, some of the tensions present among the various Manticore groups would begin to dissolve. Again, he pushed the thought away, to think on for another time. He watched with interest now, like the rest of the room's occupants, as Max reached up a trembling hand, to stroke at Joshua's cheek. And then she threw her arms around the larger figure and hugged him tightly, her face buried in his chest. But even muffled, Alec heard her words clearly.

"I'm good," she affirmed. "Everything's all right again."


	3. Look Both Ways

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Rated: up to NC-17

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Timeline: Sequel to Dream Within. Fiction starts about six weeks after FN.

Pairing M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

Chapter Three

Look Both Ways

When Alec woke the next morning, his mind was strangely still. Usually he woke with thoughts already scurrying around, filled with notations of what needed to be done. Both for TC and for himself. Ways of how to handle the inevitable situations between transgenic and transhumans that were bound to come up. But this morning, he felt content. With a wry smile, he stretched his body out to the maximum, rolling his eyes when he heard the bones in his feet crackling just slightly.

He wiggled his toes, enjoying the looseness in his muscles that finally a full eight hours of sleep had provided. With a small sigh, as he realized that no matter how much he might want to, he couldn't remain in bed much longer, he sat up and pushed the covers aside. He stood and snagged the pair of jeans that at some point had been draped across the foot of his bed. He pulled them on, not bothering to snap them shut. With a small yawn and unconscious scratching at his right shoulder, he ambled from his bedroom, wondering if he had any coffee left.

Not that what he had was any good. Most mornings it was comparable with sludge. Which was not the coffee's fault. It was a grade A coffee. But Terminal City's water supply was so full of minerals and various other detriments that he really didn't want to think of so early, that after the first cup, there was kind of a slickness to it. Usually the first cup was good, but after that, it certainly wasn't anything to write home about.

It was halfway through the first pot percolating, as Alec mused on why he didn't just brew one cup at a time to prevent the sludginess, that he remembered Max. His eyes widened and he rubbed at the sensitive spot just between and slightly above his eyes. A groan escaped his mouth as he realized that she, unlike him, probably hadn't gotten a full night's sleep. In fact, she rarely slept. So he could just imagine how frustrated she was at this point of the morning.

True, he had brought into her room every single book and distraction he could find. Anything to prevent her from getting up and ignoring Dr. Carr's orders to remain in bed a few days. And before he'd left for the evening, he'd extracted another promise that she wouldn't be foolish and compromise her health. Not that she'd been overeager to go out and do something foolish like take on the Sector Cops lining the perimeter all by herself. In fact, she was being unusually cautious after her accident. But that was well before potential boredom could have set in. He was willing to bet that if she wasn't climbing the walls by this point, she soon would be.

But the aroma of the coffee was too great an allure. _'I can have one cup,' _Alec promised himself. _'Just a quick cup and then I'll go and check on her.'_ But he was only fooling himself. While the coffee finished brewing, he hurried to find a halfway decently clean shirt and socks. As he was tying up his sneakers, he heard the percolator give off its final hiss. Rummaging through his cupboard, he withdrew two chipped and slightly stained mugs. He poured and slid the carafe back into its slot. Picking up both mugs, he took an appreciative sip from one before heading down the short distance that separated their apartments.

He was barely five feet from her door, when he heard the muffled grunts and a vehement curse under her breath. Judging from the noise, Alec judged her to be in her kitchen. Which was an odd occurrence. Not his knowing where she was in the apartment. He knew the layout of her apartment well enough to be able to pinpoint the noise to within a few feet. No, what was unusual was that Max was using her kitchen. She rarely, if ever cooked. And like him, didn't enjoy the coffee that was produced by their complexes share of the water run-off.

Usually Max hightailed it over to the commissary for her morning coffee. The only thing that he could think of was that she was trying to keep her promise that she'd stay put, manipulating the vagueness of the promise to make it seem as if her entire apartment was 'right here', and not her bed as Alec had meant. He shook his head. There was no point standing in the hallway making up excuses for her. He'd hear them as soon as he walked in. Shifting his mug from his right hand to join Max's in his left, he reached for the doorknob. The door swung easily open as another small crash resounded through the relatively small room.

"Am I going to have to find a length of rope and tie you to the bed?" he demanded loudly, with a teasing grin on his face as he rounded the corner into the kitchen. Only to be completely taken aback by the sight that awaited him.

"Well you could, but I always heard you were a handcuffs kind of guy," the female teased back, recovering from his unexpected entrance quickly.

Alec gasped out some air, sloshing a tiny bit of the warm coffee over the back of his hand. "Gem!" he exclaimed, then glanced around the room, as if ascertaining that he was in the correct apartment. "What are you doing here?" His mouth was still slightly agape. Of all the things he'd been expecting of Max, this was certainly nowhere near being on his list.

To her credit, Gem seemed completely relaxed to be in another woman's apartment at seven in the morning. She took the two coffee mugs from his hand and set them on the counter, before turning back to the stove. Alec moved to see what she was doing and understood immediately where the crash had come from. Apparently Gem was so comfortable, she was cooking, or at least attempting to salvage some eggs. "It was the weirdest thing," she muttered with a half shrug as she stirred the food. She glanced back at Alec, merriment twinkling in her eyes. "Max called me about an hour ago and asked me if the donuts were ready."

"Donuts?" Alec repeated. He would have said more, but he was stuck on that one thing. His mouth hung open as he tried to think his way through where Max's mind was coming from.

Gem laughed. "Yeah, that was about my reaction too. Then she apologized really quickly, for waking me up."

"She did?" he asked softly. It was enough that her behavior the day before had unbalanced most everybody they'd run into. It was worrisome to a degree if it were to continue.

"No, actually she didn't," Gem continued in reply. Alec snapped his attention back to the other woman. Something was very wrong here since firstly Max hadn't been making much sense the last few days, and now the epidemic was spreading to Gem. "Wake me up," she stressed with a shake of her head. With a wry grin, she plucked Alec's mug off the counter and pressed it into his hand. "Drink," she commanded. "You obviously need to wake up."

"Yeah, that's obviously it," Alec grunted. He drank slowly, so as not to burn his tongue and to give himself a moment to recover. He decided that the easiest thing would be to start over and ease into a normal conversation with the woman. "So Max called you this morning, asked about donuts and you decided to come over?" he queried.

"That's pretty much it," Gem agreed, watching the eggs carefully.

"But donuts?" he smirked. Gem glanced over her shoulder at him, unable to resist smiling back.

"Yeah, I'm not too clear on that part of it," she sighed. "After Max apologized and hung up, I wondered if she was okay. So I thought I'd come over and check on her."

"And she was okay?" Alec was mildly surprised that Gem had been that concerned about a woman she barely knew. Naturally the incident at Jam Pony wasn't really the opportune time to stage a get to know ya conversation and afterwards, Gem's time had been taken up with caring for her newborn daughter. Not that Max had been clambering after the woman for some female bonding.

"She was fine," Gem grinned. "Apparently she'd just had a weird dream and mistakenly called me."

"Humph," Alec grunted. "There's a lot of that going on lately." He saw the questioning gleam in the young mother's eyes and spoke again hurriedly to head that off before it began. "So where's Angie?" he asked, referring to the infant that was almost religiously attached to the X-5 mother.

"In the bedroom with Max," Gem answered, though she gave him a look that clearly told him that she wasn't fooled by his attempts at derailment. "She fell back asleep after we got here. I offered to make Max breakfast and she's keeping an eye on her for me."

"Oh, really?" Alec was slightly stunned. He'd never imagined that Max would be the type to care for an infant. Older kids, yeah, he could see that. Especially after watching her with Bugler, the X-8 of the pack of Manticore kids they'd rescued from the clutches of White.

"Of course, I'm right here if either of them needs me," Gem smiled. "It's no big deal Alec," she tried to reassure him.

"I didn't mean anything," he shrugged apologetically. Certainly he hadn't meant for his musing to imply that Gem was being careless with her child. Or that Max was untrustworthy around kids. In fact, she seemed to go out of her way to take care of them. Which, while it was an admirable habit, also seemed to cause her the most trouble. "I'm just uh, surprised that Max volunteered."

"I kind of was too," Gem offered quietly. "But hey, a break is a break," she laughed softly. "Even if it is just for fifteen minutes." She began to stir more quickly as the eggs were setting. Just then, both noticed the slightly burnt smell and small stream of smoke rising from the appliance on the counter. Gem tried to reach for the toast that was apparently burning, but her sleeve caught at the pan. She recovered quickly, catching the frying pan before it could fall. Alec moved forward to take care of the toast. It certainly wouldn't do to burn down Max's apartment. And even though he wasn't the instigator of this little scheme, he was sure that Max would no doubt find some way of blaming him.

Unfortunately, the noise they created in the process woke up the sleeping infant. Gem cringed slightly as she heard the piercing shriek ring through the apartment. She continued to stir furiously as she turned her back to Alec. He quickly rummaged through Max's mostly bare cupboards, finding a plate. He set it near the stove and laid the slightly crisp pieces of toast on it. Angie's cries continued, but had softened somewhat to a pitiful whimper.

"Alec could you go get her for me please, while I finish these?" Gem asked hurriedly. Alec was about to offer to take over the eggs. Babies were less his forte than the X-5 females that bore them. He was about to make a quip to that effect, but Gem glanced over her shoulder to give him a pleading look. "Please?"

Alec could have sworn she was blushing. Wondering why on earth she would be embarrassed, he shrugged genially and turned towards the room the noise was emanating from. Figuring that it wouldn't be too difficult to just carry the kid out, he nonetheless knocked at the closed door. Surely Max wouldn't be able to sleep through that racket. And to his unsurprise, she wasn't. What did take him aback though, was that she was cradling the baby against her shoulder, sitting up in the bed, rubbing a soothing hand over the infant.

"Shh sweetie," she calmed. "Mama will be here soon."

Alec was stunned by the sweet sentimentality of the picture the two of them made. Somehow, Max looked completely natural and at ease with the infant in her arms. There was a soft, wistful smile on her face, even as Angie had caught some of her hair in her tiny fist and was yanking at it as she squirmed. Unknowingly, a similar smile began to grace his face. It was a rare and beautiful sight that he had been given the privilege to see.

"Hey Alec," Max greeted after a moment. She was still bouncing Angie in her arms, unable to provide what the infant wanted. "I thought I heard your dulcet tones earlier."

Alec waited a moment, then entered her bedroom. "Yup, that was me. I was bringing you coffee," he smirked at the quick grimace on her face that disappeared quickly. "But then I got roped into the saving the toast plan of action."

"Uh huh," Max muttered, her attention divided between him and the infant. Well, centered more on the baby, with a peripheral of him. Alec was mildly startled to discover that he was slightly jealous of the attention Angie was receiving over him. "Pass me the diaper bag, would you?" Alec's eyes widened as Max eased Angie away from her slightly. Either one or both of them were sweaty, or Angie had decided being hungry wasn't enough. Max's t-shirt was clinging to her side, obviously moist, delineating her curves. Alec shook his head before she could notice and consequently scold him. Glancing down, he caught sight of an old duffel bag which didn't look familiar. Taking a chance, he hefted it onto the bed, sliding it towards Max. She said nothing as she reached for it, but Angie decided to squirm again.

"Need a hand?" Alec asked teasingly. Max returned his grin and nodded.

"Can you get out a diaper and another sleeper?" she asked quickly. Alec opened his mouth to ask what a sleeper was, but noticed that Max had laid Angie down and was divesting her of the one piece outfit the baby girl was wearing. He found the requested items on top and laid them on the bed in front of him before settling the bag back on the floor.

"Here we go," Max murmured as she finally eased the clothing off, along with an old set of plastic underpants. Angie, now free of the clinging wetness of her clothing settled down a little more, having taken the hunger matter into her own chubby hands, sucking at her fingers. She kicked idly while Max tickled at her knee.

"Have you ever changed a diaper before, Max?" Alec scoffed. He was almost holding his breath, not from the unique smell of baby business, but from the puzzlement as he watched her assured manner of dealing with the infant.

"Can't say that I have," she chuckled. "But it's not rocket science."

"I'm not too sure of that," he retorted, picking up and turning the cloth diaper about as he tried to figure out what went where."

"Don't unfold that," Max warned harshly and Alec glanced up guiltily. How had she known that that was exactly what he'd been about to do? "Gem has the diapers folded ahead of time so that Angie doesn't have an accident while waiting for someone to get it right," she explained quickly. Alec wondered when the women had time to share that little tidbit. "Pass it here." Wordlessly, he handed over the scrap of soft cotton.

It was an interesting process to watch. Max was certainly adept enough at unpinning the old diaper. It was cute the way she caught Angie's legs and hoisted her bottom end into the air. Alec winced slightly for the baby, but Angie made nary a protest, indicating that it was a process the baby was used to. Max moved the diaper aside and then held her full hand out towards him.

"What?" he demanded, knowing full well what she wanted.

"There should be a bag to put the soiled ones in," she instructed, a wicked glint in her eyes.

"Oh no," he shook his head. "I'm not touching that thing."

"Take it Alec," she muttered simply," or I'll throw it at your head."

With a slight gagging noise, Alec bent down to retrieve a plastic bag from the duffel. As gingerly as he could, he held it open for Max to deposit the soiled laundry in.

"You know, you are such a wimp," Max teased.

"Just because I don't enjoy the smells that one most naturally associates with the reminiscent scents of the underground, namely the sewers, does not mean I'm a wimp," Alec protested eloquently. Max just smirked at him. She glanced down at Angie.

"He's a wimp," she cooed. Alec could have sworn that Angie smiled back in that conspiratorial manner that females shared. After reaching into the duffel bag for a wet cloth, the process went quickly. And just as Max was snapping up a slightly threadbare sleeping outfit almost identical to the one Angie had worn before, the door opened.

"Oh Max," Gem protested mildly, having caught on quickly as to what was going on, "you didn't have to do that."

"It's okay," Max smiled generously as she hoisted Angie up again. "I didn't see the point in making her suffer." The baby, now that she was upright and not being fed, began to cry again. Without a word, Max held the child out to her mother.

Gem shoved the tray towards Alec, who caught it before it fell. He glanced around for a place to set it and noticed Max nodding for him to set it on her dresser. He did and was about to protest as she climbed out of bed. But she held her hands up and wiggled them.

"We're gonna go wash our hands," she explained to Gem who glanced up from her daughter. Alec swore that something silent and necessary passed through the women. Gem just nodded, but he noticed her lower lip quiver just a moment.

"Okay," Gem nodded. And then so quietly, he almost didn't catch it, "thanks."

Deciding that washing her hands was not monumental, and since she'd just been changing a messy kid, Alec didn't protest. But he did wonder at the amount of time it took her to do it. It seemed as if she were determined to scour every inch of skin on her hands, all the way up to her elbows.

"If I didn't know better Max," he drawled, "I'd swear you were preparing for surgery."

"Oh you're a laugh a minute Alec," Max smiled at his reflection in the bathroom mirror as she rinsed off. Alec handed her the towel and as she dried, she stepped back to offer the sink to him. Alec didn't give the matter much thought as he stepped forward for his turn. "For your information," she continued as she laid the towel beside the sink, "we're giving Gem a minute."

"And why are we doing that?" he asked, glancing now at her reflection. Max rolled her eyes, then her head cocked to the side.

"I take it that Manticore never offered much more than a basic sex ed. course?" she asked, as delicately as she could. Alec's eyes widened. How on earth did they make the jump from politeness to sex? He shook his head, indicating no. Max nodded broodingly.

"Just basically what went where, who had what and why," he shrugged, glancing away.

"What I meant was that they probably had no reason to get into the stuff about when women had babies," Max steered the conversation to where she wanted it to be. "After all, they had surrogates for that. And any soldiers having a kid," she paused and Alec got the distinct impression that something else was on her mind then. "Well, they wouldn't really have had to deal with taking care of a baby." He nodded, indicating his agreement.

"So what does that have to do with this?" he demanded softly, drying off his hands. He turned to face her, noting that she looked slightly uncomfortable to be sharing this with him, but it was not enough to deter her.

"You noticed that Gem had changed her shirt?" she questioned. Again, her leaps in conversation had no sense of logic to him, but he realized that she would get to the point, bringing it together for him. So he simply nodded again. "Well, she heard Angie crying. And for nursing mothers, it's a natural reaction to start making milk to feed the kid."

Alec lifted a single eyebrow, amused as he made the connection quickly. "You mean she was…?"

"Yeah," Max grinned. "And it probably embarrassed her," she concluded. Alec thought on that a moment.

"Why would it?" he asked. "It's a natural reaction."

"Because as soldiers," Max began softly, "you guys, we all were never given any privacy. Such a thing didn't exist." Alec realized that he was leaning forward, intrigued now despite himself. It wasn't often that they compared their lives within Manticore. They were so extreme from each other because of the escape Max's unit had made. "And now that Gem is out in the real world, she's learning that there are different rules. Things are happening to her for the first time ever, and no one is really there for her to give her the expected parameters of what's going on." She paused and glanced up at him, from under lowered lashes.

"Go on," he encouraged quietly. She sucked her lower lip inv for a moment.

"She doesn't have a unit leader or commander, or an officer or even Renfro to give her direction anymore," Max murmured slowly. "And while I don't think many of them are complaining, no one else does either. When I let them out, I kind of threw them to the wind. So what we have here is a people trying to establish what is right now and acceptable now, to what had been acceptable before."

"They've got a different sense of freedom now," Alec added, starting to understand. He hadn't given too much thought to how the others were building their lives. He himself had taken to certain parts of life naturally, while other parts of the outside world had baffled him.

"And it's not only the outside world," Max added. "It's also what they think and feel inside."

"So what do we do about it?" Alec asked. Max gave him another contemplative look."

"The best we can," she laughed suddenly, her face taking on impish proportions. Alec smiled back reflexively. Max moved out of the bathroom. "Now, I'm hungry."

"Oh by all means," Alec chuckled as he followed after her. "Let's go stuff your face." He saw Max shaking her head ahead of him. When he followed her back into her room, he saw that Gem had finally taken matters with Angie in her own hand. The contented sounds of the child nursing from underneath a light blanket that covered the child and part of the woman, echoed through the room. Alec noticed that just as Max predicted, Gem looked a little uncomfortable, and for the life of him, he couldn't ever remember seeing her nursing Angie in public. Perhaps there was more to what Max had said than he'd given her credit for.

He picked up the tray from her dresser and brought it over to her. He waited a moment until she was comfortably under the covers, then leaned down to place it across her lap. "When the hell did you become so sensitive to others?"

"I always have been Alec," she answered back quietly. Alec was startled to realize that he'd said the last thought out loud. He stared at her as she regarded him evenly. "Just remember though, it's a two way street."


	4. Angels Among Them

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Rated: up to NC-17

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Timeline: Sequel to Dream Within. Fiction starts about six weeks after FN.

Pairing M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

Chapter Four

Angels Among Them

"Come on Max," Alec muttered. He could hear the whine factor in his tone, but made no move to disguise it. He'd already tried logic, reasoning and had gotten nowhere. She was determined to disregard her own personal health and safety and go haring off again. Granted, she hadn't come out and said so, but Alec knew all the same what things Max could get embroiled in.

"I said no Alec," she returned evenly, through the now closed bedroom door. He could still hear her shuffling about, changing clothes again. When he'd come back from helping Gem out of the apartment complex with Angie, he'd found it that way, and had been told not to come back into her bedroom. It didn't take a certified genius to figure out that she was changing, determined to go to Headquarters.

"Max, you're supposed to be resting," he warned again. He knew it was futile. They were both aware that transgenic healing was superior to that of humans. But all he could remember was her vivid caution of yesterday. She hadn't wanted to be jarred, or hurt any more than she had been. And concussions still took a little time to heal. The safest place for her to do that was her apartment, where there were no surprises waiting. Where there weren't masses of people teeming about, introducing the possibility that she'd be bumped against by accident.

Before he could say more, the door flew open and Max poked her head out, causing him to take a step back. She rolled her eyes as she adjusted the strap of her tank top with one hand, holding her sneakers in the other. "It'll be fine Alec," she assured him with soothing tones. She stepped forward and he backed up again, to make way for her. "I'm just going down to HQ to check on some stuff. I will sit at a desk like a good little girl and let people come to me. I will take frequent breaks if it gets to be too much. I will let someone bring me lunch from the commissary. And I will eat it all, every last bite, even if it tastes like crap. And when I get tired, I'll come home. Does that satisfy ya?" she demanded evenly.

Alec shook his head, amused. There was just no getting around this. "All right," he conceded. "Just as long as you aren't envisioning me as your little lackey. I've got stuff to do too, you know."

"I know," she grinned, as she seated herself on her lumpy sofa. "I'm the one who ordered you to do it, remember?"

Their heads both turned then, hearing the clumping, familiar footfall as someone came down the apartment hallway. Max tilted her head towards the noise, as it stopped outside her doorway, silently asking. Alec was moving towards the door before his mind even fully registered what he was doing. He heard her small scoff.

"Not a lackey, my ass," she chuckled under her breath.

He turned back to glare at her for a moment, the scowl on his face holding no real menace. "Brat."

"Takes one to know one," she quipped. Alec just shook his head. There was that interminable good mood again. He was going to have to figure out a way to deal with that. And quick. He reached the door just as there was a hesitant knock presented. He swung the door open, unsurprised to find Joshua there.

"Hey Josh," he greeted. The bigger man smiled and nodded, carefully peeking over Alec's shoulder into the apartment.

"Hey Alec," he returned. "Little fella up?"

"I'm up Joshua," Max called. "Come on in." Alec stepped aside, knowing that Joshua at least would be careful around Max. He frowned however as he watched the tall transhuman make his way over to his best little buddy and give her a gentle hug. He really couldn't understand this urgency he felt to almost keep Max wrapped up in a cocoon. It wasn't stemming from any feelings he had for her, real or imagined. Well, it was. But it was like there was something in the back of his mind, glaring neon warning signs. Something that was telling him, keep Max safe at all costs. An urgency driving at him that warned that if something befell her, the whole world would come crashing down around their ears.

Alec was always one to give in to instinct. It kept him alive. Kept him safe. And now apparently, that inherent ability was including Max in that net of protection. He wondered idly if this was how some of the mated males felt about their spouses, but just as quickly thrust that thought from his head. Now was most certainly not the time to be thinking like that! He forced himself to tune back into the conversation Max and Joshua were having.

"So Max okay to do that?" Joshua was asking with uncertainty.

"Well, you've got me at just the right time," Max smiled up at her friend. "I was just about to head out. I can sure stop down there first."

"Wait, wait," Alec protested. Damn him for missing something when he should have been paying attention, instead of letting himself become totally absorbed in his thoughts again. "Stop down where?" He demanded.

"You know Alec," Max drawled teasingly. "Manticore gave you ears for a reason."

"Huh?"

"You know?" she teased, "To listen with…"

"Yeah, ha ha funny," he growled, his perturbance with himself starting to transfer to her. Why couldn't she be serious this morning? Or at least as serious as she'd been when discussing Gem with him in the bathroom? "Where are we stopping?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm stopping down at the perimeter fence. There's someone here to see me."

"Oh hell no," he growled at once. He noticed that Joshua was watching them in a manner akin to those watching a tennis match. "You know that you were too visible during the JP incident. Too high a risk to-!" He broke off as he noticed that Max was creeping towards her front door. "Hey! Max!" He called after her, his feet moving automatically after her.

"It's okay, I know the guy," she threw back over her shoulder.

"So who is he?" Alec demanded peevishly. A guy? What kind of guy was it? A friend type guy. An ex-lover type guy? Though, knowing Max, that didn't seem too likely. But hey, he acknowledged, she hadn't known just Logan the entire time she lived in Seattle. And he'd heard Original Cindy and Sketchy mention some others guys names a few times before.

"Angelo!" floated back from the now empty hallway.

"Well that tells me nothing," Alec snorted. He turned back to Joshua. "You know who she's talking about?" But poor Joshua just gave him a half-hearted shrug and a dumbfounded _who me?_ look.

Alec and Joshua took off after their friend, who seemed to be moving along at quite a good pace. They caught up to her as she was exiting the apartment complex. "So uh Max," Alec tried to be casual, but it was hard when Max was making tracks like she was, "so who's this Angelo guy?" Well, that stopped her short. She stared at him for a moment, squinting her eyes at him. Then, as if something occurred to her, her face smoothed out and she smirked.

"Do you mean to tell me that Normal never told you about the time I saved his ass from art thieves?" she demanded lightly.

"Hmm, Normal in a situation where he becomes indebted to his most obnoxious employee," Alec mused. "Somehow, I don't think that was on his list of priorities to tell me."

"And yet somehow," she teased back, "his Gladiator dreams were."

"Gladiator?" Joshua questioned, his interest perking up. Alec figured he must have read about those soldiers somewhere.

"I'll tell ya later," he waved off the big man's interest, silently swearing to figure out a way to divert the dogman with something else if he ever brought it up again. Normal's dreams were the stuff of his nightmares. He turned back to Max. "But that still doesn't tell me who Angelo is."

"The painting that the thieves had lifted got mixed up at Jam Pony," Max explained quickly, her words as quick as her footsteps. "The painting was delivered to Angelo by mistake. I met him when I went to rectify things."

"Oh, okay." Alec couldn't think of anything more to say. Such a brief moment, switching packages, hardly seemed the impetus for such a moment that Max seemed to be looking forward to, but to each their own. Their walk continued, with Joshua and Alec hurrying to keep apace with Max. Silence had fallen between them, though all three could hear the low murmurs of conversations from transgenics and transhumans on the street. As well as the hum of the machinery that they'd gotten working in the weeks and months of congregating there.

But as they rounded the corner that led to the perimeter fencing where this Angelo was waiting, several things happened at once. There was a shout, one Alec couldn't immediately pinpoint. Max flinched and a shot rang out.

The last two happened so simultaneously, that Alec almost couldn't separate them in his mind. He reacted instinctively, his thoughts from earlier compelling him. He threw himself towards Max, his momentum carrying them both down to the ground. Somehow, he amazingly remembered her injuries and was able to twist their bodies so that he got a leg and arm underneath her, to cushion her head and body before they impacted on the hard cement. His back was to the fence, creating a barrier between it and her, to protect her from the perceived threat. Angelo! It had to be.

Before their bodies had a chance to settle, Alec was turning his head, ready to issue commands, but the fence guards had already reacted. Every single one had a weapon out, pointed directly at the ordinary, who had his hands in the air. But to Alec's surprise, those hands were empty. Before he could search the ground for a dropped weapon, another crash sounded near them.

"Alec?" Max asked softly. Some fabric from his shirt must have been in her way, since her voice was muffled.

"You okay?" he asked quickly, wondering if he should check, just in case. But new good mood Max or not, she wouldn't appreciate his touch, impartially meant or not.

"I'm good," she answered, even if she was moving gingerly. She tried to move away from him, but Alec refused to let her go. The threat had come from an unexpected area and still hadn't been confirmed, which meant that the potential for another shot had yet to be neutralized. His eyes kept searching the area, but all the transgenics seemed to calm when they heard a low, familiar laugh.

Alec as well as the others glanced up. There, on top of the building closest to the perimeter fence, was Mole. His cigar rested in one hand, his shotgun in the other as he laughed at them, gesturing down to the street. Alec loosened his holdon Max and the two rolled carefully away from each other, but then turned simultaneously towards where Mole was pointing.

On the ground, was the reason behind the gunshot and the crash. Steaming and hissing, with a gaping shotgun hole through one engine, was a hover drone. There was a moment of stunned silence, before Max began to giggle. She turned to the troops.

"You can stand down guys," she lightly instructed the transgenics covering Angelo. They blinked at her, but slowly lowered their weapons. The poor man, still stunned, took a moment longer before he lowered his hands as well. She turned back to Alec. "Well, as unexpected as that was, it was an interesting drill. Good to know you've got that bodyguard thing down pat."

"Uh, yeah," Alec agreed. And it was. Suddenly the worry from earlier that morning didn't seem as ludicrous. True, it was just a hover drone. But had it been a real situation… He snuck another look at Max, but her attention was up on the rooftops. He watched her signal _'good shot'_ to Mole and when he looked up o the lizard man, was pleased to see the grin was still there, around the cigar now perched back in his mouth. As well as a thumbs up. He soon disappeared back to wherever he'd come from.

"Hey Joshua," Max called. The big man scuttled forward from the position he'd assumed by the corner of the building. "Can you take this thing over to headquarters? Ask them to go over it and see if any footage survived, what it was and if it was transmitted back to the sector cops."

"Will do, Max," Joshua nodded happily, pleased to help out. The pair watched him collect the large piece of machinery, hoisting it easily in his powerful arms. He set off and Max took a moment to brush herself off.

"Now, where were we?" she muttered and then turned back to the fence. She ambled over, a beatific smile lighting her face. "Hey Angelo!"

"Max," the man returned as she drew nearer. He glanced around at the others, then up at the roof. "Is it always so exciting around here?"

"Nah," she chuckled. "Sometimes Mole decides to shoot at us rather than inanimate objects. Then the fun really begins."

"Oh."

It was said so flatly that Alec wanted to snicker. The poor man really couldn't tell if Max was joking or not.

"So what can I help you with?" Max asked gently, seeming to sense that this wasn't the time for her smart ass attitude. Angelo seemed to shake himself out of his reverie.

"Well," he drawled hesitantly. "You know, I've never forgotten what you did for me." But Max quickly waved it off. Alec was surprised to see a faint blush in her cheeks. What had she done for the man?

"It was nothing," she denied.

"Not nothing," Angelo refuted, holding her gaze intently. "You saved my life. And my career." Alec grimaced. Here obviously was a case of hero worship.

"Really?" he interrupted, and then nudged Max. "You never told me that part."

"Yeah," Max sighed. "But if I hadn't surprised him, he wouldn't have fallen off that ledge." There was something in her eyes that told him to just keep quiet and Alec wisely held his tongue. They both turned back to the ordinary.

"Regardless of how it happened," Angelo continued, "I'm still alive today. And that's why I've come."

"Oh really," another of the fence guards asked. Alec thought his name could be Zag. He didn't seem offended, just curious.

"Yeah," Angelo nodded. "There's no way that I could ever pay you back for what you did for me that night. But my wife and I were talking about it the other day. We saw the footage on the news from the Jam Pony incident. I knew it was you right away. I told my wife that you were the one."

"Oh Lord," Max mumbled, the reddening of her cheeks increasing.

"I had no idea that you were a trans-transgenic," he stumbled slightly over the unfamiliar word. Then he hurried on quickly. "Not that it matters to me. My wife and I know that you're a good person."

"So you came to tell her that?" the same guard, Zag, spoke up again. There was an undertone of humor in the guard's faces. Ordinaries could be so weird at times.

"Actually, my wife had always wondered who that angel was that saved her husband," Angelo answered sardonically, shrugging one shoulder. "And then we knew. But how do you help people like you?" He held his hands up again to indicate that he meant no offense. None was taken. "But the other thing that stuck in our minds was that other woman. You know, the one with the baby. She was a transgenic too, wasn't she?"

The group glanced at one another before Max slowly nodded. "Yeah, she is."

Angelo nodded. "Are they doing okay?" he asked softly. His concern was palpable to them all. No matter that he was virtually a stranger to all of them; the genuine emotion touched each and every one of them. Max smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, mom and baby are doing well," she told him. Angelo nodded, relieved.

"So anyway, as I was saying, we really didn't know how to repay you," he continued. "But my wife had this idea. See, after my daughter was born, there were some complications." He spoke slowly, the subject matter most definitely a sore spot for him. "The doctor said there wouldn't be any more kids for us, unless we adopted."

Alec's eyes went wide. What the hell? Was this guy seriously suggesting… But apparently Angelo had realized his verbal misstep. He shook his head quickly.

"My wife thought that maybe that young woman could use our daughter's baby things," he went on hurriedly. There was a moment, when everyone's hackles lowered again. "We saved them all, just in case." He turned and gestured back at the truck he'd arrived in. They could see the boxes all packed in. "We can't really get extra food and stuff, but this stuff will never be missed. If you can use it, we'd be more than happy to give it to you."

"Oh," Max exclaimed softly. "We can. We really can." Alec glanced at her. He figured she was probably thinking of the threadbare state little Angie's clothes had been in that morning. True they were all clean and well mended, but still, they were nothing to brag over. Angelo beamed and turned back to the truck. He pulled out one of the smaller boxes and returned to the fence with it. He opened it swiftly and withdrew a white, lacy something or other. He passed it through the small hole in the chain link fence to Max. She held it up before her and Alec was surprised to see her eyes mist over. She drew the little dress to her chest and looked down at it.

"Uh Max," he interrupted teasingly. "Yeah, as cute as it is, I really don't think it would fit you."

"Shut up Alec," she retorted so softly that he barely heard her. But she did fold the dress back up, reverently. Blinking rapidly to clear what he was sure was tears in her eyes, Max turned to the guards. "Can you guys organize getting this stuff into the compound?" Zag and the others nodded eagerly. Max turned to Alec. "Why don't you round up some help for them?" Alec considered and then nodded. Even though this meeting was innocuous, didn't mean that threats weren't still abounding. Some extra eyes would be a good thing.

Max had turned back to Angelo. "This is so wonderful," she thanked him profusely. He waved it away.

"Not at all," he offered modestly. "It's barely anything. I mean, if there was anything else I could do, please ask."

Alec was startled to see a sudden change come over Max. There was a speculative gleam in her eye that he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Actually," she drawled, "there is." Angelo looked a little surprised, but he leaned in to hear this request. "I'm wondering," she grinned, "would you be willing to talk to a friend of mine?"


	5. Hovering

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Rated: up to NC-17

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Timeline: Sequel to Dream Within. Fiction starts about six weeks after FN.

Pairing M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

A/N- So very very sorry that this has taken so long to be updated. Unfortunately, the bigger that my baby and thus, my belly grows, the harder it is to reach the keyboard. But I'm trying!

Chapter Five

Hovering

"So what have you got for me, big man?" Alec asked jovially as he approached Dix at his usual work station. The other few that were also gathered around Dix's work station glanced up. Mole, Luke and surprisingly Joshua, had all been discussing something in low tones while Dix had been fiddling. It had come to an abrupt halt when Alec arrived and he wasn't immune to the curious looks they were giving him. But he just shrugged it off. It wasn't like they were going to say anything to his face and he certainly didn't feel up to cajoling or even threatening it out of them. He easily imagined that it had all been on their lips about how when there was a perceived threat, his first instinct had been to protect Max. And not himself.

He didn't blame them for their interest in that. He'd been going over it in his head on his walk back from the perimeter fence after meeting Max's acquaintance, Angelo Biondello. That had been a nice little interlude and a surprising one. It wasn't really surprising to Alec. He knew that there were some ordinaries out there that were decent. He'd met and gotten to know a few. But to realize that a person could base their opinion of an entire species just by the actions of one member of that species was mind boggling. Especially when one counted that it was Max that Angelo was basing his opinion on. Although, if you factored in the idea that Angelo was convinced that Max had saved his life. Well, it almost made sense.

He glanced up at the open area of the second floor. Max had hared off to make a phone call after Angelo had left. Alec had assumed it was to arrange her little deal. Alec wasn't so sure about this plan. It seemed just a tad bit harebrained to him. But he knew better than to openly criticize her by now. So instead, he'd just heaved a sigh and let her do what she was going to do. He was going to keep an eye on her for the next few days, making sure that she kept her promise of that morning. And so far, being in the space denoted as her office should be safe.

"It's actually not that bad," Dix spoke up finally, bringing Alec's attention back to the other event of their day. He glanced down at the disabled hover drone that was lying on the desk. Dix had managed to figure out how to hook up the video feed to his own computer. Not that it took a Manticore genius. But with all the modifications and whatnot, they wanted to make sure that the video link was disabled before poking around. It would have been disastrous to allow the sector cops to get a look inside their headquarters.

Alec supposed that he must have looked slightly distracted as the others seemed to wait with bated breath for his approval to proceed. He gave a small jerk of his chin and Dix nodded happily, turning to look. The other transhuman poked at the keyboard and as one, the group turned to the video monitor set close by.

It wasn't easy to figure out where the video footage started from. Especially since most transgenics liked to keep their feet on the ground. But there were a few occasions that some high-flying action was needed. But Alec found himself musing about how as a former bike messenger, he would have been the best bet to relay where the hover drone had been flying. But then, messenger's tended to use street signs, addresses and permanent ground structures as landmarks. Not clotheslines, clouds and birds.

But finally, something did look familiar. He thought he recognized a building, a number of blocks away from the outskirts of Terminal City. It was an even less desired sector than what the rest of the city had degenerated to. He was curious about the sudden dip the hover drone took. But before he could even ask the question, Dix was ready with an answer.

"So from what I can gather, the hover drones are used in rotation," he began. "Obviously, they can be damaged. I looked it over and it seems that this model needs a specific flight plan, which can then be altered remotely if need be by the controller or programmer."

"Makes sense," Mole conceded. "Damn things won't do the ordinaries any good if it just flies aimlessly around." There was a nodding consensus from everyone around the desk. There was no use, them getting upset about the damn things. They'd been around for long enough that most ordinaries, even if they didn't like them, had gotten used to them. The transgenics had as well. After all, they were specifically trained in the art of stealth and getting by a little flying video camera was cake.

They continued to watch in silence as the hover drone footage showed it monitoring the local populace in its flight. Occasionally, it would halt in midair to take a closer scan of something. But as far as they could tell, it was nothing to interest them. But Alec was surprised to see the sudden lurch that the machine gave. He turned to Dix.

"What was that?" he demanded. Dix just gave him a pleased smile and grabbed from his desk, a small pebble and held it up for the other man to peruse.

"You saw those kids?" Luke offered. Alec nodded. That had been the last part of the video tape that was clear. Some children were... he hesitated to use the word playing. His first instinct was that they were up to some juvenile mischief. And by their swift movements to hide whatever they were doing, they were obviously aware that a hover drone was on to them. But since it was away from Terminal City, Alec didn't really worry over it. It was a normal occurrence in the city and sadly, it seemed as if the less desirable criminal element was getting younger every day.

"Our theory," Luke continued, gesturing to Dix and himself, "was that they weren't too pleased about being taped. We think one or all of them were a little aggressive and uh, took it out on the drone."

Ale knew he must have looked as though he hadn't caught on immediately. Dix gestured again at the footage and Alec could see the rocky, jerky path the drone was taking.

"This was in the engine, disrupting the flight plan," Dix explained, holding up the pebble again. He handed it to Alec. "You can see where the engine chipped off pieces of it as it worked its way through." And indeed, Alec could see fresh pieces of stone under where the metal gears and pieces had sheared it away.

"Ah," he nodded. He got it. A simple mistake that the creators probably hadn't expected. After all, they wouldn't expect rocks to be flying through the air in Seattle. Birds, yes, rain, most definitely. In protest or just general ordinary teenager way of thinking, they'd thrown stones at the damn thing. It was almost laughable that an ordinary kid had managed to lodge a rock in the machinery. Just one of those lucky coincidences. He turned his gaze back to the monitor. There was nothing discernible in the information. At times, the drone was partly upright, with a view of the buildings it passed, or it jerked another way, showing sky, ground or another building. And then the screen went blank.

"That's when I blasted it," Mole broke in, his very tone showing how overly pleased with himself that he was.

"Yes," Luke agreed fervently. "It was an excellent shot." Alec hid his smirk as he noticed Mole's chest puffing up even more. "He got it right through the video lens. They got nothing about TC or anybody in here."

"Well, that's a relief," Alec sighed. There was one less burden to worry about. Max would be glad to hear. And speaking of, he glanced up as he heard a door slam shut. As he'd expected, it was their fearless leader. She was moving swiftly along the catwalk, towards the stairs leading towards the lower area. Alec let his vision focus in on her face and was glad to see a faint trace of a smile on her face. So that meant that her phone call went well. He wasn't sure if he was happy about that or not. After all, trusting that the publicity would work for them was a chancy thing.

Max was paused in her purposeful walk towards their group by an overeager Jiminy. He showed something to Max on a clipboard. Alec straightened up, unconsciously trying to see what she was looking at. Which was just plain silly, since she was still a good fifteen feet away and most especially, because the back of the clipboard was facing him. It was kind of hard to read those things when they were facing the other direction. Alec grunted, drawing the curious, speculating and all too knowing looks of those males amassed around him. But all he could do was roll his eyes. Let them speculate all they wanted. They would never figure out what was going through his mind. He knew this for the pure simple reason that even he couldn't understand himself and the way his brain was wired some days.

After another moment pf conversation, Jiminy nodded and rushed off. And Max was able to continue her determined stride towards them. As she joined the group, it seemed to Alec that the others all gave them just a little more room, as if expecting an imminent attack.

"So did you get through to him?" Alec demanded, sure that she had. Why else would she have taken so long?

"I did," she confirmed and then fell silent as she glanced curiously at the monitor which was still blank. She glanced at Dix, opening her mouth to ask something, but Alec was too quick for her.

"Well?" he demanded softly. "What did he say?"

Max glanced up at him, her eyes slightly unfocused, as far as a Transgenic could be unfocused anyway. "Oh," she murmured, slightly shaking herself. She waved one hand dismissively. "He's happy to do it. You know how he is. As eager as a big puppy dog."

Alec heard the low chuckle behind them, knowing that it came from Joshua. This kind of irked him. How come Max was allowed to make dog references? Coming from anyone else, he'd be all snarls. But back to the matter at hand.

"I don't know Max," he sighed, running a tired hand through his hair. He scratched at the back of his neck. "Do you really think that Sketchy can pull off getting an interview?" But before she could answer, they turned at the choked, mangled half-curse uttered behind them.

"What?" Max demanded, fully in control of herself once again. But Alec could see, lurking underneath the surface of her smooth caramel colored skin, the hints of a grin.

Mole however, made no such effort to hide his derisive amusement. "You trust that ordinary?" he demanded. And before she could reply, he continued on. "I'd have thought you'd have Cale all over this type of thing."

Max shrugged, noncommittally. "Normally I would have," she admitted. And Alec found himself curious as to her reasoning why as well. It was an odd move to make. Logan had the connections, Eyes Only, the tendency to champion the underdogs. Which is what they were in a manner of speaking. It was them against the world.

"But instead you're asking a JP messenger to do this instead?" Luke asked softly. The story of their daring hostage situation and escape, while having been played on the news repeatedly, had also been bandied about Terminal City by those who had been present. So while not everyone had met Logan, Cindy or Sketchy, everyone in TC knew who they were. "What makes you think he can do it?"

The question, while simple, Alec realized, was also a big step for Luke. He wasn't designed by Manticore to challenge orders. He was made to follow them. Just as they all were. Yet, those like Luke and even Dix seemed to have been made with even less free will than the X's and other transhumans.

"Instinct," Max answered succinctly. The others all looked at her as if they were indulging her. The smile that had been threatening her face finally broke and she grinned at them all. Alec was surprised to see that she was taking this all so well. Normally, any perceived insolence was handled immediately and harshly. It wasn't uncommon to hear Max screaming at the top of her lungs about 'zero tolerance'. "Look at it this way," she continued. "You're right that normally, I'd want to filter this thing through Logan. But the problem is that he's too closed off. Eyes Only is too mysterious, too quick a program to deal effectively with this plan. And, in case you haven't noticed," she lowered her tone conspiratorially, "he's also getting a little preachy." She glanced around and caught Alec's eye. She smirked, as if about to impart some eternal wisdom. "And in case you haven't noticed, ordinaries hate being preached at."

"Unless of course they're going to the actual licensed preachers," Alec replied sardonically. Max shook her head.

"Even then," she murmured, lifting one delicate shoulder. "Have you ever noticed the percentage of a congregation that actually snoozes rather than listen to a sermon?"

Alec opened his mouth to reply, but found that he couldn't. After all, when had he spent time cataloguing the behavior of parishioners? "But anyways," he shook his head. Best get back to the subject. "Do you really think Sketch can handle this? I mean, I love the guy as much as the next person, but really, we all know how reliable he is."

"Pretty damn reliable," Mole burst out. Surprised, they turned as one towards him. Mole glanced around at the others. Alec could see that he wasn't shocked that they were reacting to his words as one might expect. In fact, he was sure that Mole was being deliberately shocking, going from the extreme of supreme suspicion to utter acceptance of an ordinary. So Alec relaxed himself. Really, ever since this whole debacle had started, months ago, he'd been just too tense.

"Yeah, he has been," Max agreed with the lizard man amicably. She turned back towards the others. "As I said, we aren't going through Logan on this one. Sketchy may not have the amount of experience that Logan does, but he has some. He works on the side for New World Weekly. It may be a rag, but at least he's almost guaranteed to get HIS words out there." They could all hear the stress of that specific word. And it was there that they understood the specifics of her choice.

Alec knew that Logan was getting too into the transgenic movement. Enough that he was alienating the general populace. And if Sketchy were to get his version, however outrageous it might be, into print form and out to the world, it would be an entirely different matter. Print was lasting. The words and reporter would be fresh to the public. Thinking on it now, Alec realized that if Sketchy could pull this off, it would be a coup for the trannies.

"So, you finally got it?" Max questioned lightly. Her words had been to the group at large, as Alec noticed them all nodding in agreement, but her eyes were centered on him. He grinned sheepishly, and then glanced away. And his eyes fell directly on Jiminy, hurrying towards their group, his face serious and intent.

"Max!" he called. The rest of the group turned the same direction of the wiry, energetic X. He wasted no time, but jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Incoming!"


	6. New Arrivals

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Rated: up to R

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction (except loveable Jiminy and other minor created characters) are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Timeline: Sequel to Dream Within. Fiction starts about six weeks after FN.

Pairing M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

Chapter Six

New Arrivals

"Max!" Jiminy called. The rest of the group turned the same direction of the wiry, energetic X. He wasted no time, but jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Incoming!"

"All right," Max called back easily. Alec noticed how at ease she'd seemed. Which was distinctly out of place since everyone else had tensed up at the new X's call. He was still a little bit of an unknown quantity and until the others had gotten used to him, they would be wary and on guard. It was the same with each new arrival. Fortunately it didn't take long to get a feel for all the transgenics and transhumans, but some days, it was a bit like overload when a large group came through the fence.

But Max was handling it with aplomb. Of course, Alec mused, it could have been from all her years on the outside. She was used to dealing with large crowds that ebbed and flowed, with people coming and going. And yet, Alec had just spent the last year getting acclimated to the outside world. He knew that he'd taken to it like a duck to water. But even he still had the moment of tension whenever a newcomer popped up suddenly. Perhaps it was because Max was supremely unconcerned about things like sneak attacks, or the enemy using sleeper agents. So many variables of problems not yet cropped up that crowded each trans-being every time they were confronted with what they hoped were their own.

"I got it, guys," Max sighed, drawing Alec once again out of another thought provoking moment. He shook his head, almost like he was trying to rid his ears of water. He knew he definitely needed to get out of this funk he was in, overanalyzing every little thing that this totally enticing in too many ways to count, yet completely off-limits female came up with.

Alec hurried after Max and Joshua, vaguely wondering why she had grabbed the job of greeting the newest arrivals. And since the pair ahead of him weren't talking, he figured he may as well just ask.

"Not to be rude or anything," he began diffidently, but Max didn't seem to be fooled.

"But you will anyway," she chuckled, slowing so that he could walk abreast of them. Alec sighed and rolled his eyes.

"What I was going to ask was why on earth you're heading out there?" he demanded. "Don't you have better things to be doing?"

"Like what?" Max returned with just a hint of exasperation in her voice.

"Oh I don't know," Alec returned sarcastically, "maybe resting like Dr. Carr wanted you to. Or doing some paperwork at your desk. There are plenty of things you could be doing."

"And I can do this," Max shrugged. Joshua seemed simply content to let the conversation flow around him. He too might have been concerned about Max's health, since she obviously cared not one whit. And the more Alec thought about it, the more it seemed as if Joshua had taken the same position he had, to simply shadow Max and make sure she didn't exert herself.

"But why?" he insisted. "Anyone in the office could have taken care of it. Josh or I could have."

"You could," she agreed mildly, picking up her pace a little once they exited the building. The two males kept up easily. "But I'm already going."

"Right back into the line of fire," Alec murmured under his breath. Admitting to himself that he really didn't like seeing her going back to the fence line, no matter that it wasn't close to the street that the cops had blocked off. Mole's shooting down the hover drone and the resultant havoc was still fresh in his mind, as was the adrenaline pumping its way through his system. There was only so much a body, even a genetically revved up one, could handle. And he certainly didn't want another scene like that. But hopefully, this would be just what it seemed. Some new arrivals that would be processed easily and quickly. And then he could get back to convincing Max to settle down and take things easy.

In minutes, they were at the south entrance, where the call had come in from. There, with the two border guards, were a knot of four transgenics. They looked to Alec like X-6 series, slightly younger than he and Max, probably in the fourteen to seventeen range. Although, just going by their faces, they looked quite a bit older. Alec recognized the mask all four kids wore, since it was identical to every Manticore soldier he'd ever encountered. The kids were in an unknown situation and he knew they'd probably behave as if they were back at Manticore itself. He was about to point it out, but Max beat him to the punch.

"Smile Joshua," she encouraged with a light elbow to the big man's side. "These guys are welcome to our utopia, such as it is."

The big guy grinned down at his friend and Alec's thoughts flew off again, wondering how Max could consider this toxic dump a paradise. But before they got too far, the presentation of soldiers began.

Taking their cues from the attitude of the guards, the X-6's snapped to attention, carefully cataloguing who was garnering the respect of the guards and was therefore likely candidate as leader. Alec didn't recognize any of the teens and by the careful inspection the kids were doing on each of their faces, knew that he, Max and Joshua weren't recognized either. Finally one boy took a half step forward, focusing correctly, on Max. His hand snapped up to salute, but a minute shake of Max's head forestalled the action.

"Tactically dangerous to salute officers when surrounded by the enemy," she chastised gently. The boy nodded and quickly shuffled back into line with his group. Max smiled impishly. "Plus the fact that it pisses me off to no end."

The border guards chuckled, affirming her statement and the X-6's looked on at them with a mixture of awe and a little bit of horror at what they perceived as impertinence. But Max's answering grin showed them which way the wind was blowing in this camp.

"S'okay," Max continued, "this is the way it goes, we greet you. Hello by the way. Welcome to Terminal City. We pat you down," she glanced at the guards who indicated in the affirmative that this had already been accomplished. "Then we get your designations and head over to headquarters. If you've chosen names as well, that's fine, we'll take those too."

"And you might want to hurry," Alec broke in, smirking. "Max has a tendency to name things. And she doesn't do well at it."

"I did all right by you," she retorted, rolling the pen between her fingers and Alec waited for what he knew was coming. The alternate name she'd wished she'd chosen. But she surprised him. "Right 494?"

Alec noticed that the X-6's stood even straighter, if that was possible and evidently it was since they did it. Perhaps they might not have recognized the face, but the number was a power to be reckoned with. He could just imagine the tales that were bandied about the lower X series of his performance with Manticore. 'Don't screw up like 494, or it'll be Psy-Ops for you.' 'Don't fall in love with your target's daughter, or six months solitary will be your reward.' The sudden rush of unwanted emotion at his long ago failed mission and reminder of Rachel jarred him. Determinedly, he pushed it aside, trying again to focus on the moment at hand.

"So," Max drawled, her clipboard and pen in one hand, the other hand on her hip. "Designations please?"

The first boy tilted his chin up in deference to her. "X6-228." Max dutifully wrote it down.

"And a name, if you've chosen one," she muttered. The boy hesitated and she glanced up to see him eyeing the others in their party. They all looked, to Alec, like they were trying, unsuccessfully, to hide something. He grinned; he couldn't wait to see what Max came up with.

"Well," the boy began hesitantly. "I-uh…"

"Don't worry if it's unusual," Max assured him with a smile, then returned her pen to the paper, waiting. "Besides, if I don't like it, I'll just call you Aloysius."

Alec squeezed his eyes and mouth shut, trying to control the sudden guffaw that was threatening to burst out of him. Truly, she did not disappoint. After managing to stifle the laughter, he chanced a glance at the group. The kids were gob smacked, the guards and Joshua were amused and Max had pursed her lips as if getting ready with a punch line. He wasn't surprised really. Alec moved quietly over to stand with the guards and Josh.

"Just kidding!" she sang out, a full fledged smile bursting upon her face. But the result of those two words was like a huge relief and stunning blow on the kids. Whatever serious mien they'd been trying for was completely lost as they looked amongst themselves and at Max in consternation.

Max waited patiently again, both hands resting on the top of the clipboard that was now resting with its butt end against her taut stomach.

"Actually ma'am," X6-228 spoke softly, "its J.K." Max nodded and recorded this next to his name. Her right hand, with the pen in it, returned to the top of the clipboard, and her left hand disappeared behind her back. She moved easily to the next soldier, a young woman. But Alec missed her designation as his eyes were caught by the quick movements of Max's fingers.

"Chas," Joshua growled softly after a moment. Alec had no idea what the big dog man was referring to and turned his attention to the larger male.

"Huh?"

But Joshua simply nodded towards the small group. Alec mentally shrugged. If Josh wanted him to know, he'd tell him, in his roundabout puppy excitable way. Max had moved on to the next young man and again, as his designation was recited, Max's fingers were again dancing. "Mort," he repeated softly, now grinning.

"What?" Alec demanded in a whisper, surprised when he heard the boy echoing Joshua. His eyes flickered between the two, wondering when the hell Joshua had become psychic. He was about to ask, when Joshua knowingly shushed him.

Max stood before the last of the group, another young man and this time, Alec concentrated on what her fingers were doing. She was motioning in a very specific way that reminded him of the silent military code that the soldiers had been taught since they were children. But the signs she was using weren't any that he recognized. She made a circle with her forefinger up. Then a closed fist with her pinky up. Then she zig zagged a couple of times then made a curious fist with both thumb and pinky extended to the sides.

"Dizzy," Joshua muttered and it was confirmed by the redheaded youth. Alec's mind spun as he realized it wasn't Joshua that had gone psychic, but Max. Of course, his mind assured him. It wasn't all that surprising a leap between psycho and psychic and images of the tele-coercionist Mia sprang to mind. He wondered briefly if this could be another dormant ability of Max's that Sandeman had implanted, like her runes. Perhaps something that was awoken prematurely by Max's accident. Or maybe something that was developing naturally.

But if that was the case, Alec shuddered, who knew how far she had already gone. If she was picking these kids names out of their heads before they even announced them, what else had she seen? In them, in him? Was it this then that was responsible for her sudden change in attitude? He was reminded abruptly about how she knew down in the sewers that he was going to lie about the things he yearned for. The way she simply knew how Gem was feeling, what she was thinking and having never cared before for Angie, exactly how Gem ordered things and what the baby needed in a precise moment. This new awareness of Max's awareness was nerve racking on many levels and Alec suddenly felt a desire to bolt.

But again, the sense that he needed to stay, to protect her, was near overwhelming. And as Alec struggled with this inner conflict, he heard Joshua mumbling again.

"What was that?" he demanded.

"Max using Ameslan," Joshua repeated himself, his tone puzzled. Alec was puzzled too, not having heard that word before and the dog man glanced at his face, realizing that more of an explanation was needed. "American Sign Language," he expanded.

That Alec understood. He just had never known that there was an actual name for the sign language that ordinaries, deaf or mute people used. He'd always just thought of it, if he'd ever consciously thought of it at all, as ordinary sign language. "I didn't know you knew any," he accused gently. And accordingly, Joshua had never shown the slightest inclination to the silent gestures they made, military or otherwise.

"Found a book," Joshua explained, an underlying note of pain was clearly evident to Alec and he soon found out why. "Was going to teach it to Isaac." He sighed heavily, his gaze shifting to Max. "But couldn't. Manticore burned down. Had to get everyone out. The book burned up too, I think."

"Oh man," Alec glanced up at the sky, absentmindedly noting the sun's position and the approximate hour. He was just no damn good with this mushy stuff. But it seemed that something at least needed to be said. "I'm sorry Josh."


	7. Dogged Moments

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Rated: up to NC-17

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Timeline: Sequel to Dream Within. Fiction starts about six weeks after FN.

Pairing M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

A/N- The movie that is obliquely referred to in this chapter is "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story". It just popped into my head as I was writing.

Chapter Seven

Dogged Moments

"Hey Josh!" Alec called as he knocked politely and waited in front of the door to Joshua's apartment. "You there?" He was pretty sure that the big dog-man would be. There wasn't too many places that Joshua liked to roam to yet and he had heard movement in the apartment as he'd approached. He sighed while he waited for Joshua to answer his door. He supposed he could have just let himself in, he hadn't hesitated before when he'd wanted to visit. But then, he decided, this way, if Joshua chose not to answer, then Alec could at least honestly tell Max that he had made the effort. Just as he was about to turn and leave, the door opened slightly. Joshua's visage peered out at him.

"Alec," Joshua spoke, but it wasn't a question. "Max sent you."

"Yeah she did buddy," Alec half-shrugged. No point in hiding that fact.

"Why?"

"Well," Alec groped about for some way to tell Joshua what was on the woman's mind in a way that wouldn't offend his friend. "She's worried about you." There, that was bland enough. Joshua gave a small grin and stepped back to open the door wide and admit Alec. Caught between relief, that he wouldn't have to tell Max that he hadn't talked to Josh, and apprehension, that he was actually going to have to sit and talk to Joshua about painful subjects, Alec went ahead and followed after his friend. He pushed the door shut behind himself, softly.

Joshua's living space was quite open. Alec had been there before a few times and he always appreciated the minimal amount of clutter the other man had. He especially liked the awesome view the large living room window afforded. He skirted around the pallet in the corner that Joshua rested on and stared out at the open sky. He heard movement behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see that Joshua was setting up an art easel.

"Hey," he grinned. "I didn't know you were painting again."

"Just started the other day," Joshua nodded, not bothering to glance at him as he continued with what he was doing.

"Did you tell Max?" was Alec's next question. Surely knowing that would appease some of her worries over the big man. Joshua shook his head.

"Kinda private right now," Joshua shrugged and gave Alec a meaningful glance.

Alec jerked his head minutely to the side. "I won't tell her," he promised. And he wouldn't. It was not like Max needed to know every last detail of people's lives. "Or anyone else for that matter," he amended as Joshua held his gaze. The bigger man grunted once, nodded and turned his attention back to the easel.

"So you're here," Joshua prompted.

"Oh yeah," Alec sighed. "Max was worried about, uh... well, earlier. About... Isaac," he offered softly. He wasn't surprised to see Josh's shoulders hunch slightly at the mention of his brother's name.

"What about Isaac?" Joshua finally grunted. Alec watched the dog-man continue moving the easel until it was balanced on the artist tripod. It was a slightly rickety affair, semi off-balance and Alec could see that it had been busted and then unevenly sanded. He glanced around to see if there was something that could be used as a wedge for the shortest leg. Maybe a rolled up matchbook cover would work.

"Well," he hedged, as his eyes searched, "Max thought that you might want to, you know, talk about what um, happened to him."

"Uh huh," Joshua nodded and Alec grimaced slightly. Was that a confirmation that Josh wanted to talk about his dead brother. Or was it Josh's way of acknowledging that he had already known this and that Alec was just confirming it for him. "And why are you here Alec?"

"Uh..." Alec again, wasn't sure how to broach this, but he was saved from, answering when Joshua continued on.

"Because if Max was worried, Max should have come," Joshua pointed out.

"Well she would have," Alec defended automatically, moving towards the big guy, away from the window. "She just thinks that you might be tired of listening to her take on things." He grinned slightly, realizing just how strange that would be for Max. The old Max, that was.

"But I still am," Joshua smiled back gently. His grin grew as Alec tried to puzzle out what the bigger guy meant. "Max say this, Max think that. Did you tell Max about painting?" He smirked down at the shorter man and pressed one long forefinger against Alec's forehead. "Alec's mind too full of Max, for anything else."

Alec grimaced and swiped Joshua's hand away. "It is not," he protested.

Joshua just gave a barking laugh. "If it sounds that way," Alec stressed, "it's because she's the one who sent me over here like her little errand boy-!" he began, slightly heatedly.

"Could have said 'no', Alec," Joshua pointed out.

"I did say no," Alec grimaced, recalling the minor episode Max had had not long ago. "But she..."

"Got Alec to agree anyway," Joshua finished for him as he moved to reposition the canvas on his working area.

"Yeah," Alec sighed again, shoving his hands in his pockets. "She's got that way about her."

"She cares," Joshua nodded, agreeing with the shorter man. But Alec was surprised to find that he took offense at that. Not the indication that Max cared about other people, because he had seen that before. But no, there was the slur that he didn't care. Because, lately, he did. Care that was.

"You know," he drawled, still wary of probing the sore spots, "she's not the only one."

"True," Joshua grunted, stepping back to make sure that the canvas was square. "Alec cares about a lot of things."

"Well not just things," Alec protested, knowing this diatribe. Smart-Alec who only cared about money, booze and scoring chicks. Truthfully, Max wasn't the only one he heard it from. To be honest, Normal had always gone on about certain skills that Alec had allowed himself to share with his former employer. And then there was his dismal failure of a protege in Sketchy, not that it was Alec's fault, he just didn't have a lot to work with. And all the people that Alec had worked with or hung out with,.pretty much the same since his and Max former co-workers had tended to migrate to the same watering hole day after day. They all had a certain expectation of Alec that unfortunately, he'd done very little to change. He sighed as he realized that he'd gotten himself off topic. "I care about people too. Why do you think I'm here? 'Cause I got lonely for the good ol' days back at Manticore and it's my dream to recreate the living nightmare?"

Joshua did look at him then, his eyes brimming over with understanding. Alec glanced away first, strangely feeling sort of unmanned by the sheer amount of empathy that Josh gave off. Damn it, he wasn't here to bare his soul. He softened his tone, still trying to explain to Joshua something that he felt he shouldn't have to. That he was more than what everyone assumed of him. "I'm just trying to do my part," he shrugged uneasily. "Just trying to help... look out for everyone. I mean, those who need it..."

"And that would be everyone," Joshua pursed his lips. "At some time or another."

"Yeah, I suppose," Alec agreed, pulling one hand loose to run through his hair, slightly unnerved.

"Max does the same," Josh continued, turning to face Alec full on, his arms crossing over his chest. "She tries to help everyone. Just like Joshua does. And like Gem and Dalton and everyone else." Alec smirked a little at that. "Try to help the people we care about."

"Makes sense," he shrugged. In a weird sort of way. These Manticore alum were the only thing close to a family that any of them, maybe save Max, had. It wasn't so surprising that they'd pull together. What was it that Max had said to that group of kids so long ago? They weren't just a unit. They were all each other had. Sappy, yeah, but ultimately true.

"But sometimes," Joshua continued, still regarding Alec, "taking care of someone else means taking care of you."

"What do ya mean Josh?" Alec questioned tiredly. Here he was, thinking that they'd have a nice painful conversation about killing people and why sometimes it was necessary and that the guilt wouldn't ever go away, but maybe fade a little with time, and now he was being bombarded with something else completely.

"Well Alec," Joshua began with a grin that Alec just knew forebode trouble, "if Alec is taking care of Max, and Max is taking care of Alec, wouldn't it just be easier for Max to take care of Max and Alec to take care of Alec? Then Max and Alec don't have to worry so much."

Alec couldn't help chuckling at the loopy roundabout, but followed it easily. "Nice idea Josh, but it wouldn't work. Max is too much of a natural worry wart."

"So is Alec," Josh grunted, more to himself it seemed.

"No I'm not," Alec denied once again automatically.

"So then why is Alec here?" Josh questioned again, his stance seeming to take on a hard line to it. Alec opened his mouth to say again that Max had asked him. "It's because Alec is worried that Max will do too much and make herself sicker. So if Alec comes, then Max doesn't have to worry so much and will take care if someone taking care of Joshua."

"I'm not worried," Alec began to protest, but knew immediately that he couldn't sell it to Joshua. The bigger man just knew he and Max too well by this point. "Okay, maybe just a little bit," he caved that much. Joshua began to laugh, having just proved his point and Alec gave him a lopsided grin. "All right big guy. So what should I do?"

"Maybe Alec should quit thinking so much and just do what is normal," Josh answered readily.

"You're right," Alec agreed quietly. Hadn't he already come to that decision himself? If only it weren't for that nagging voice in the back of his head that swore up and down that disaster was imminent when it came to Max.

"Well anyway," Alec continued as he watched Joshua begin puttering around with his paints. He recalled that Joshua had said that this was still kind of private. He realized suddenly that the big guy was just waiting for Alec to leave so that he could get back to it. "I'm gonna head off. Just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"As okay as I'm gonna be," Josh grunted and nodded. Alec clapped him once on the shoulder and with a ne'er-do-well grin that really had little of that feeling behind it, he bade his friend goodbye and left. As he pulled the apartment door shut behind himself, Alec firmly ordered his mind that he needed to forget about Max for the moment. He had things to do, people to see, or well, call. And after dinner... shoot. He felt like smacking himself on the head as he walked towards the stairwell. He had promised to bring Max something from the commissary. Of course, at the time he had promised, it had seemed like an excellent excuse to drop in on her and make sure that she was taking it easy as Dr. Carr had wanted her to.

Well, there was no reason that he still couldn't do that. He'd pick up the food, drop it off, make sure she would stay put and then go do his own thing. That sounded good. Except for the life of him, Alec really couldn't see what his own thing was anymore. For the last six weeks, he'd been caught up with transgenic and transhuman matters, following after Max, mooning over her like a teenage boy with an inappropriate crush. And damn, there he went thinking about her too much... again!

So, new plan. He would get Max some food, make sure she'd stay put and then find the nearest place with plenty of alcohol. There, a good solid plan. Except for the fact that there really was nowhere in Terminal City that could be termed a decent watering hole. And as luck would have it, his apartment was bare of any alcohol. Well, if the mountain wouldn't come to Alec... But he knew too that after just having been out in the city of Seattle, Alec didn't want to push his luck. He'd told Max that she'd been too visible during the Jam Pony incident, well the same could almost have been said for him. The cops that had initially shown up had gotten a good look at him. Okay, new plan.

Alec had reached the street and was heading for the commissary almost before he had realized it. He greeted the people he knew perfunctorily as his mind swirled on ways he could stop thinking about Max. In the end, he decided that he was just going to have to find a project that was so time and energy consuming, that he just wouldn't have the wherewithal to think about her.

Half an hour later, this determined thought still on his mind,. Alec stood outside her apartment door, holding a heavily laden tray with her dinner on it. 'Just get in and out,' he told himself. 'No more than two minutes of conversation and then you're gone.' Taking a deep, fortifying breath, he raised his hand and knocked.

"Come in," she answered almost immediately. Alec wondered if she had been waiting for him. He shook his head as he opened the unlocked door and pushed it open. He deftly maneuvered inside with the tray and nudged the door shut with his elbow. He stepped into the main room and found Max reclining on her ratty old sofa that had been left in the apartment she currently occupied. Of course, one of the first orders of her personal business had been to fumigate it. Apparently, she had a real aversion to rats. At least, that was what she had told him. At the time, he thought that she'd been making a slightly veiled slam against him. But her reminiscent laugh and a quick story about her and Cindy's apartment being taken over by the vermin had cleared that up.

"Hey," he greeted, his voice slightly huskier than usual. He frowned and cleared his throat. Damn it, he didn't mean to sound like... that! "I brought your dinner."

"Thanks," Max replied faintly, one hand covering her eyes. She gestured vaguely at the floor beside her. "Everything okay with Joshua?"

Alec took her gesture to mean to set the tray on the floor within reach. Which made sense as she didn't have a coffee table. He complied, studying her covertly. Her face still looked pinched and white. Was the episode that started in her office still going on, or was this another in a series of them. "Yeah," he answered finally. "Well, honestly, I guess he's good. He didn't really feel like talking."

She grimaced and Alec wasn't sure what caused it. But her face cleared as she heaved a sigh and gingerly sat up, removing the hand from her face. Her pupils dilated drastically and Alec realized that she must have been poised like that for a long time. "Well, at least you tried," she sighed. "Thanks."

"Uh, yeah, sure," Alec nodded, feeling foolish. That was different. But then, Max was thinking of Joshua, so no doubt her mood was going to be magnanimous.

"So what was he up to?" she asked as she pulled her feet up. Alec wondered if it was an unspoken invitation to have a seat. But, he reminded himself, he wasn't going to be staying. Less than a minute and a half now. He remembered his promise to Joshua and shrugged.

"Just moving some stuff around," he answered glibly. It was true, to a point. Max nodded carefully. "Well anyway, I got some stuff to take care of. So I'll let you eat and rest." He waited for the protest or questions, or whatever Max would come up with to circumvent the promise she had made. But she just nodded again, her eyes thoughtful. And Alec felt a sudden surge of resentment. How on earth could she just dismiss him so easily. But his thoughts were brought up short as he saw her lips move.

"I'm not hungry just yet," he heard her say. "I'll try and eat in a little while."

"Are you okay?" he asked before he could stop himself and then promptly bit at his tongue. Max sighed.

"Still have a bit of a headache," she explained. "I keep hoping it'll go away. But no such luck yet."

"Well, eating might help," Alec pointed out, trying to think when he'd last seen her eat something. It was that morning. Had she skipped lunch? Knowing her, she probably had.

"It might," she agreed calmly. "And I'll try. Thank you for bringing it."

"You're welcome Maxie," his smile softened. How could he be angry at her when she wasn't feeling well. It was impossible when she was sitting there looking so.. delicate and knowing the ordeal she'd been through in the last few days. Alec bit his tongue harder. _'Alec's mind too full of Max, for anything else.' _Joshua's words rang through his mind again. Back...to...the...plan! "I'll get out of your hair then and let you rest," he repeated, making to head out.

"Oh Alec," her voice stopped him cold and he steeled himself against whatever she could possibly say.

"Yeah Max?"

"When you have some free time," she began, her voice soft and hesitant, "do you think you could act as a sounding board?"

"A sounding board?" he repeated, intrigued. What on earth was she thinking now? She nodded gingerly and a spasm of pain raced across her eyes.

"I have some things I need to work out," she explained, "about TC and its future," Alec breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't something personal. He'd really had enough of that today. "And I'd like to hear your input before I present it to the committee."

"The committee?" he questioned with a grin. What was she thinking of? The smile stayed as her own face lit up with a grin.

"Isn't that what we are?" she teased. Alec shrugged.

"I suppose," he chuckled and then thought for a moment. "I don't have time tonight," he lied. "Got that supply run to figure out." She nodded, accepting that. "How about tomorrow night?" He was a little surprised that she was turning to him for this. He would have thought that she'd turn to a certain someone else. But then, Logan wasn't a transgenic, nor did he live here. So maybe it made a certain amount of sense. "I could bring dinner again?" He cursed his stupid tongue. Damn it! It was always getting him into trouble.

"That sounds great," Max enthused. And did she sound... relieved? Alec shook that thought off. He must be imagining things. "So it's a date."

He choked a little on that. "No," he hurriedly corrected, "it's an appointment."

"I hated that movie," Max quipped and Alec goggled at her. "I mean, biographies never are right, cause it's usually just one persons view on the whole other person."

"Well she was his wife," Alec argued, finally having caught up to her conversational leap. "She did have a pretty intimate view on the guy. But the martial arts weren't too bad."

"They were okay," Max agreed. "But you know, actors," sh shrugged, "they can only carry it so far."

"True," Alec agreed. Not like genetically enhanced killing machines. "Anyway, I better, uh... go."

"Yep," Max leaned back in her seat, her hand creeping up to massage at her temple and Alec was hard pressed not to find some other way to offer her comfort. "I'll see you tomorrow then and we can go over what you have for that supply run."

'Sounds good," Alec nodded and hurried out the door, glad for the reprieve. Now he really did have something to occupy his evening with, courtesy of Max's words. He'd work all damn night if he had to, to have that supply run set up. He headed back to headquarters, making up a mental list of any contacts he had that would be, if not trustworthy enough, at least willing to be bribed or bought. He was in for a lot of telephone time, he sighed.

Once back at his little office that he'd protested getting, Alec set about to work. Shutting the door to block distractions, he realized that Max was actually right about that. When he'd been trying to work down in the teeming mass of bodies on the main floor, he'd be distracted too easily. And it wasn't always his fault. Down there, people approached everyone else freely, sometimes for TC related business, sometimes on personal projects, sometimes just to shoot the breeze. And Alec had no problem with doing any of that. Except that it cut into what Max had actually asked him to get done. And not liking the constant butt chewing, Alec had made the effort. He'd also found something else along the way. He was making headway for his people, providing them with things essential to their survival. He had stayed to make a stand and then was slowly learning to live up to that promise. So maybe taking a few bureaucratic steps along the way wasn't such a bad thing.

It was just after eight when someone knocked on his door. When Alec glanced up from his desk where he was poring over floor plans that Dix had provided of a food storage warehouse, he realized that it was indeed getting late. He shook his head to clear his vision that still had the imprinted blue and black lines running through it. "Come on in," he called. He watched the door to see who it was and was surprised to find one of the newest recruits, Jiminy on the other side of the door.

"Hey," he greeted, just leaning his head inside. "Alec, right?"

"Yeah," Alec nodded. "What'd you need?"

Jiminy opened the door further and glanced down at the brown paper bag he held. "Mole told me that you can show me where Max lives. I've got something here for her."

Alec's eyes narrowed. This little punk had been here for less than forty-eight hours and already he was trying to put the moves on Max? His voice was more curt than usual as he grunted, "just leave it on the desk. I'll drop it off on my way home."

"Sorry man," Jiminy grinned. "It's kind of personal." That caught Alec's full attention and he glanced at the bag. He couldn't tell anything that might be in there. And what the hell could it be? It had to have been something that the kid had scrounged up or brought with him. Since one of the cardinal rules around there was that new denizens were in a city lock down for an undisclosed, to them, amount of time. The risk of sleeper agents who might have to escape from the city again to meet their handlers. So Jiminy most definitely wouldn't have been allowed back out into Seattle so soon again after just arriving.

"Yeah, well," Alec groped for a reason to circumvent this kid from going over there. Of course, Jiminy would have been around long enough to possibly hear scuttlebutt on Max's accident. But did Alec really want to keep spreading the news around? Didn't want the wrong people to hear that the transgenic's leader was under the weather. But then, the people that it would really matter too, would or should know that when it came down to brass tacks, it wouldn't matter. That's why there was a chain of command. "Max is still recovering from her accident and isn't up for visitors."

"Two minutes man," Jiminy grinned. "If I have to, I'll just set it inside her door and not one word."

Alec continued to regard him. He let out a small sigh. really, who the hell was he to police who could and couldn't see Max. It wasn't as if... Even a concerned friend didn't have that right, and at best, that was all Alec could maybe consider himself in the world according to Max. Finally he nodded. "Give me ten minutes," he instructed. Jiminy nodded and backed away, pulling the door shut again. Alec used the time to stare blankly at the plans he'd just memorized minutes ago. Even with them right before his eyes, he couldn't make heads nor tails of them. Just like he couldn't make heads nor tails of Max and what the hell was happening between them.


	8. Brand New Day

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Rated: up to M, this chapter is suggestive... so PG-15

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Timeline: Sequel to Dream Within. Fiction starts about six weeks after FN.

Pairing M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

**A/N- This chapter is dedicated to bty804100, a prize in my Christmas Fiction Contest. Congrats!**

Chapter Eight

Brand New Day

Alec stared down at his traitorous body. He'd just woken moments ago, wincing as his damn mind recalled with perfect clear detail the dreams of last night. Okay, so he couldn't control his dreams, that much was clear. But Manticore had taught him to control his mind and body. Except, going through every exercise at clearing unnecessary thought from him wasn't doing a damn thing. He glared at the hard evidence of a night spent dreaming about Max and all the things he would dearly love a chance to do to her, with her and for her.

It was all her fault, Alec decided angrily as he kicked the covers the remainder of the way off his legs. He rolled to a sitting position on the edge of his bed. If it hadn't been for her smile when she greeted Jiminy at her apartment door the night before, Alec wouldn't have been reminded of how she had smiled at him that way. Wouldn't have been reminded about how she'd thrown herself into _his_ arms, wanting and needing to be comforted after her accident. It didn't help that she had subtly tried to send Alec on his way after his showing Jiminy where her apartment was. His excuse, that he wasn't about to leave a newcomer and potential threat alone with the leader of their fair city went unspoken. But Jiminy, smart transgenic that he had been designed to be, had sensed the undercurrents. He'd handed Max the brown paper bag, waited as she looked inside and exclaimed profusely over the item or items inside, endured her thanks and took his leave.

It didn't matter that the other man had been there for only a few minutes. Whatever it was, and Max certainly hadn't shown Alec, the contents of that bag had put such good humor on her face that Alec was jealous. What on earth could the new transgenic have found that would make Max that happy? Alec had no clue. Realizing that once more, his thoughts had been centering on the Max-go-round again, he'd given her a curt goodbye and declared that he needed to get back to headquarters to finish up his work. Max had completely missed the tense set of his jaw as she turned to carry her package to her bedroom. She had just admonished him not to work too late and wished him a good night.

But back at his office, Alec couldn't concentrate. He'd finally given up after several more hours of unproductively and his mind had swung once more to that damn brown bag. He wondered briefly if there was something Max needed that she hadn't thought to ask from himself. Or Joshua or Gem or any of the other trannies that she'd grown closer too. It had gnawed at him again that Max actually had known Jiminy prior to his appearing in TC. But if she did, the other man certainly gave off no indication of it.

Pushing off the bed, Alec strode through his apartment, naked. That was it, a cold shower was the only recourse left to him it seemed. Since Max was fully expecting him to walk down to HQ with her this morning for the morning meeting, Alec knew he certainly couldn't show up at her door sporting the mother of all boners. For once Alec was glad that the water heater in their apartment complex worked only sporadically. It was something they were working on fixing and in general, Alec couldn't wait for the day when he had hot water at any time he pleased. But this morning, it wouldn't be a blessing.

He climbed into the shower, flipping the water on, bracing himself for the sting of the cold spray. Instead, his mouth went dry and all the remaining blood in his body rushed straight to his groin as he heard through the flimsy walls of their apartment, a most definitely female moan. 'Max!' his mind flashed. Their bathrooms shared a wall, an incredibly non-soundproof wall. Alec could feel the cold droplets pelting his chest, abdomen and thighs, running down his legs as he grit his teeth. But it didn't matter as he heard water lapping next door. 'Max and her baths,' he decided, knowing that was the only answer. And oddly, instead of anger that she was unconsciously tormenting him this way, Alec was strangely thrilled.

Did she have any idea that he was just on the other side of the wall right now? Had she heard his shower come on and was picturing him under the spray as he'd imagined her so many times? Or was she so lost in the ecstasy of a bathtub full of warm water, her responses low and natural and so sexy as hell. Alec wasn't sure. He reached for the sliver of soap, set in the little niche beside him and began lathering up his hands. It was probably the latter, he figured. Why on earth would she be thinking of him...God, if she only knew. Surprisingly, Alec's face felt flushed, his entire body overheated, despite the icy spray. Or perhaps it was just accentuating the lingering heat of desire that curled through him.

He could just see her, lounging dreamily in her tub, identical to his own. Her legs pressed together as the water brimmed around her, threatening to spill over. The clear water would afford him a perfect view of her body, one that was blazoned into his brain thanks to entering her apartment at one surprisingly opportune moment. Oh how her cheeks had flamed, along with her eyes as she had screamed at him. Alec drew in a shaky breath as the thought of those eyes staring up at him, full of need, full of desire, full of... he wanted to say love, but he knew better. It had just been her dream. She hadn't been reacting to him. But Alec had dreams too.

Damn, he wanted her so badly!

Alec, now composed much more suitably, knocked at Max's door. After he'd gotten cleaned up from his little adventure in the shower stall, and part of him still couldn't believe that he'd done that knowing that Max was in the bathtub right next door, he'd jumped out and gotten dressed. He tried a few more cleansing exercises that he'd been taught and instead, brought to mind the list of things that they needed to work on this day. With this litany of chores running through his mind, he headed over to Max's.

She answered the door and Alec's jaw clenched when he saw that she was still in her bathrobe.

"Hey, come on in," she invited and stepped back. "I'm running a little late," she informed him unnecessarily. Alec said nothing, just shut the door behind himself as Max quickly made her way back to the bedroom.

"I would have been ready on time," she continued, her voice floating out to him where he stood in the middle of her living room, resolutely looking away from her almost closed bedroom door. "But I got up early this morning and heated some water for a bath. And then I stupidly went and fell asleep."

Alec's eyes widened fractionally as he heard what she was telling him. So when he'd been in the shower... she'd been asleep. Okay, that was better than he could have hoped for. So she was probably not aware of what he'd been... doing in his shower and not just hiding her awareness from embarrassment or to tease him about it later. Okay, he could definitely live with that. But still... "Not really a smart move Maxie," he called out.

"I know," she answered back immediately. "I guess I just didn't realize I was that tired."

And she shouldn't have been, Alec knew. Not with her DNA predilection to less sleep. Was it the result _still_ of her accident. Alec chewed on his lower lip as he pondered that. But then he realized that she was addressing him again, her words covering the sound of her dressing.

"Did you get the supply run set up?" she called out to him. "Or did you need a little more time?"

There, that was something on a impersonal level that he could work with. "I did actually," he called back, raising his voice slightly. "We can go ahead with it if we want, but I did receive some fairly reliable Intel about the warehouse, so we might be better off to wait."

"Okay," she agreed immediately and Alec was surprised. "Do you see that notepad on the floor? By the couch?"

Alec glanced around until he saw the tattered and water-stained paper notebook. "Yeah. What about it?"

"That's this morning's itinerary for the meeting," Max explained. "Go ahead and add that on that empty line under the provisions."

Alec glanced over what Max already had written in on the sheet. Each item that they usually discussed at these morning meetings was mapped out with at least one line in between each. He located the pen that had been left beside the notebook and perched on the edge of the sofa to add the notation as she had asked. "Gotta keep notes now Maxie?" he asked in what he hoped was a teasing voice. It actually worried him. She should have been able to keep this information in her head, just like the rest of them did.

"Thought it would be a good idea," she called back. "That way I won't miss anything. Plus, I was kinda bored last night." He nodded as he glanced over what he had added. _Supply run- go ahead or wait?_ Simple enough and direct. And since it was in his handwriting, she'd know who to ask about it. He glanced up when he heard the door to her bedroom open. He blinked several times as she stepped out into the main room. Max noticed him staring and a small grin graced her face. "What?"

"You're wearing your hair back," he offered, feeling slightly stupid for just blurting it out. But it was different. And Max never did things differently. At least the old Max didn't.

Max shrugged. "Well, it's not like I have to hide my bar code here," she defended. "Plus it was getting in my way, you know. Or maybe you don't. Where did you get your hair cut?" Alec blinked again. He'd gotten his hair cut? Oh right. It had been several weeks ago, but still, she had noticed.

"Oh um, I had Rory do it," he informed her. Max nodded and began to move to her kitchen to rummage through her cupboards.

"Maybe I can get her to lop off some of mine," she chuckled. "Want some coffee?"

"Actually I think _he_ specializes in high and tights, since that's all Manticore ever let us guys wear," Alec shot back. "But maybe he's branched out since then. I can always ask. And are you sure you want to be drinkin' that sludge?"

"It's okay," Max grinned over her shoulder at him. "I told you, I was bored last night. So I gathered some water and let it settle. All the minerals and gunk settled to the bottom. And then I very carefully poured off the better water and voila!" She held up the coffee carafe for a moment and then began pouring coffee into two mugs. Alec, settling the notebook and pen in one hand, stood to accept the coffee that she brought to him. He took a cautious sip and was pleased to find that it was much better than he'd expected.

"Mm," he sighed appreciatively. "Don't know why we didn't think of this before."

"Probably because we're in too much of a rush in the morning," Max smiled as she held her own mug between both hands. She took a deep sip and then glanced around. "Okay, just let me get my shoes and we can get going. Oh and hey, if there's anything else that needs to be brought up at the meeting, just add it in at the bottom."

"Like making appointment's with Rory?" he asked teasingly. Max just shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You know Max, if you just want to chop off the extra weight, you could do it yourself you know."

"Right," she huffed as she set her coffee cup on the floor and bent over to slip on her runners. "The last time I tried that... let's just say that it's a good thing my hair is so curly when it's short."

"Really?" Alec grinned. That would have been an interesting sight. As far as he could recall, he'd never seen Max with anything but that straight-laced hairstyle since they had first met. Well, there was the odd time or two when he'd caught her getting ready for a bath, when she'd done some loopy thing to her hair and pinned it up. "You were probably cute as a button," he quipped before he could stop himself. Max grimaced and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Thanks," she scoffed as she retrieved her coffee. "Who on earth came up with that saying. Buttons are boring."

"Oh I don't know about that," Alec shrugged one shoulder, mindful of the items in his hands. This conversation was good. Not too heavy, nothing taxing, just banter back and forth, without the former rancor. He kind of liked this. "Have you ever seen those novelty ones?"

"So now you're comparing me to a button in the shape of Petunia Pig?" Max scowled, though Alec could see that she was fighting a grin.

"They have those?" Alec tilted his head in puzzlement.

"Believe me," Max finally let the grin through, "if someone thought it was marketable, it would have been done. I mean, look at the cartoon paraphernalia that still floating around out there."

"Yeah I guess," Alec nodded. She was right. There were some strange bits of crap available to the public for consumption. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Max nodded. She held out her hand for her notebook and Alec handed it over. He led the way to the door, opening it for her since both her hands were full. He made sure to switch off the overhead light before he pulled the door shut behind them, Max continuing their conversation. "So I'm thinking, if Rory isn't into cutting hair, maybe we can find another transgenic that is."

"Maybe Max," Alec agreed with a grin. "I think people'd find we're full of surprises."


	9. State Of Fear

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Rated: up to NC-17

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Timeline: Sequel to Dream Within. Fiction starts about six weeks after FN.

Pairing M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

**A/N- This chapter is dedicated to Karencharmed, a prize in my Christmas Fiction Contest. Congrats!**

Chapter Nine

State Of Fear

"And then we should set up a place for it," Max continued as she walked next to Alec. He nodded absent-mindedly, reaching for the door to HQ, opening it for her. She slipped in and waited a millisecond for him to catch up. "I don't know that Rory would be able to make any money at it, but if he's got nothing else to do, it would keep him busy. Do you know what his specialty was?"

"Nothing comes to mind," Alec shrugged. Already, he'd caught sight of the usual crew that filled the building at this time in the morning. Yet none of the group, or committee, as Max had called them, were on the main floor. That meant they were all upstairs in their meeting room, waiting on Max and himself. That was about typical. He would swear, on a stack of pre-pulse Bibles, if necessary, that Max could never seem to be on time for anything. He did notice her nod towards a few people as they wound through the desks and tables and other various items, headed for the stairs.

Alec had to grit his teeth slightly and divert his gaze as Max bounded up the steps ahead of him. One of these days he was going to smarten up and lead the way, instead of tormenting himself daily with this sight.

They made it without pause to the command room. The smallish room with it's large conference table seemed to have many names, but no matter what one called it, everyone knew what was being talked about. Alec, glancing around for a swift head count, realized that everyone was definitely already there. To that end, he shut the door behind himself and Max. She made her way to the front. And since there were more chairs than committee members, Alec had his limited choice of seats. Remembering his earlier resolve to try and get Max out of his mind, for at least part of the time, since when actually dealing with her, he'd have to... deal with her, Alec chose a seat closer to the door. There were a few glances in his direction at this, but no one said anything. It wasn't like it was a hard and fast established rule that he always sit beside Max at these meetings.

Making himself as comfortable as he could in the tattered chair, Alec turned his attention to their leader. She'd taken up position at the head of the table where she normally sat. But instead of taking a seat, she was glancing over her written out itinerary.

"Okay guys," she announced after a moment. "I've got the basics here. I'll pass it around, have a glance. You see something I missed, add it in there. Any new business goes at the bottom." With that and amused glances between the others, Max handed it to her right, to Joshua. The big man dutifully glanced over the list while Mole leaned forward.

"Are we going to be required to take notes now?" he asked, his tone slightly mocking. Max shook her head.

"This is just so I don't get off track," she informed them at large. "And so I don't accidentally skip over anything so that we have to back-track. Problems with that?" she asked coolly, though without hostility. Mole pursed his lips for just a second and then shook his head in the negative. The list quickly made the round, as there really weren't that many people there. Just himself, Max, Mole, Joshua, Dix, Callie and Doc. Max accepted the list back and Alec felt Callie's gaze on his for a moment, but he just ignored it.

"Okay, let's get started then," Max announced, finally taking a seat. "First up, everyone here I assume, is aware of the newest addition to our equipment list?"

"You mean that big ol' hover drone taking up over half of Luke's workspace downstairs?" Doc asked dryly. "No, hadn't noticed it."

Alec smiled, noting with some surprise that Max actually chuckled and nodded. Hmm, usually she was the one that stomped on the smart remarks and jokes and tension reliever slash time wasters. But today, her good mood seemed inclined to let things slide.

"That'd be the one," she grinned. "I assume that the usual scuttlebutt has been going around HQ and possibly further?" she asked in general and there were several nods from all around the table. Alec wasn't aware of what had been said about Mole's shooting down the hover drone. Unusually, he'd been a little too busy to get out among the others and shoot the breeze as he normally took the time to do. "Okay, from this point on," Max continued, "the hover drone is hush hush. What we'll be doing with it, when it's fixed. Nothing major, but if we can get it set up like I want to, then I don't want unfriendlies catching wind of it."

"Agreed," Mole chimed in quickly and again Alec was slightly startled. Mole and Max agreeing on things. That was a step sideways for them. Perhaps they'd already had a conversation about this pass between them, but Alec wondered when they'd have had a chance. Or maybe they were just freakishly on the same wavelength.

"What are we going to be doing with it?" Callie asked, frowning slightly. She and Doc were the only ones of those assembled that hadn't been in HQ when it was brought in, even though they had heard about it from others and had been by later the previous day to check it out. Alec was glad she had asked, because Max had not let him in on what she'd been thinking about. Or maybe this was something that she'd wanted to brainstorm with him about. Over dinner, his mind reminded him. Alec frowned and pushed that thought away. It wasn't anything special. Just two people, two co-workers getting together to nourish their bodies to feed their minds so that they could crank out some credible ideas. Yeah, that was all it was. Once Alec got that through his mind, he realized that he had missed part of what Max had said in explanation.

"...mass produce some more," she was saying. "Of course, then, we'll have to hack the security section so that we can bypass the sector cops flight plans."

"But that's all long-term," Dix added, leaning into the conversation. "Right now the main focus is to get the thing up and running and patrolling our perimeters without the outsiders catching on that it's now one of ours." Max and several others nodded. Alec quickly thought through what he'd heard. Max wanted more hover drones? That wasn't exactly a bad idea. Another part of the security system they had developed for themselves. The only drawback was producing them when all you had around you were burned out shells of a decade old technological science fair. But maybe she had some ideas on that. Alec forced himself to tune back in.

"Anything else on the security front?" Max asked, directing herself to Mole even as she made notations on her notebook. Alec frowned, wondering again where she had gotten it. Maybe that was what Jiminy had brought her. It sure looked like something that could have been found somewhere in Terminal City. Not that it really mattered, Alec decided. It was just... sometimes he hated little niggling mysteries like this that he figured should have been solvable. The big questions in life, he let go. But little things that should have an answer, he really liked having answers.

"... and Dix brought up the latest numbers," Mole concluded, gesturing across the table with his unlit cigar. Alec bit his lower lip and chastised himself to pay attention. It did not matter what had been in that innocuous brown paper bag that another man had given Max. He forced himself to watch as Dix passed on the current tally of transgenics and transhumans living in the city. Max glanced over it briefly and then stuffed the paper into the back of her notebook.

"All right," she continued, barely glancing at her notes. She angled herself towards Alec and he perked up a bit, glad that he was paying attention finally. He really didn't want to give everyone an excuse to be after him because he wasn't. "Alec, you said you got the supply run set up, but there was some other Intel?"

"That's right," he confirmed with a slight grin. He was in his element now and the groove felt comfortable to him. "Okay," he breathed out, leaning back in his chair, giving off a typically relaxed vibe, even if he wasn't totally in that zone. "We're pretty much as up to date on supplies in most areas. I know that the main concerns right now are food and medical supplies." He glanced at Callie and Doc as the pair nodded back at him. "I checked into that storage warehouse we discussed last week. As it stands now," this time he included everyone in his sight, "if we hit, we'll get the items we discussed. Camping gear, the stoves, some food, mostly canned goods."

"And what was the information that makes you want to wait?" Max asked calmly, not actually interrupting, but close enough to it. Alec didn't let it bother him. He knew she was impatient and he had been coming to that. He let a small smile play at his lips.

"Turns out the warehouse is a military outsource facility," he announced and everything in the room stilled. They all knew what that meant. The military, decades ago, had begun to contract to other sources for their needs. Food, medical supplies, weaponry, vehicles, it was all produced by companies that bid for the right to produce these items. Once produced, the items were shipped to military facilities. But occasionally, they had to be stored elsewhere, sometimes if a base was closing up, or troops were moving out. Such had to be the case now.

"What's the time line?" Max asked, slightly breathless with anticipation, leaning forward, her eyes glittering. Alec had to swallow hastily and focus at a point somewhere just beyond her shoulder before he could continue.

"Two weeks," he answered, his voice a little more husky than he wanted. He softly cleared his throat, glancing around surreptitiously at at the others, but they hadn't seemed to notice. "Problem is, they'll be moving the other gear out two days before that to make room for the military."

"What's in the shipment?" Joshua asked, also leaning forward.

"Basic hodgepodge," he shrugged. "MRE's, kits, clothing, the usual."

"Med supplies?" Doc asked and Alec nodded. The other man leaned back, satisfied.

"So basically the choice is," Dix enumerated, "we can hit the warehouse now and get some gear, or we can wait and get the good stuff. But if we wait, what are we going to do in the meantime for necessities."

"Well as to that," Alec grinned, though it faded slightly when he realized that he had lost Max's attention. She was now staring down at her notebook, her eyes unfocused, her hand curled into a loose fist as she ran her forefinger and thumb over her lower lip. If pressed, he would have said that she looked... scared. Was she enduring another headache? "I did some checking on a few other smaller places that we could hit in the meantime." He continued to watch Max, looking for the the signs that would indicate that she needed to back off and let her body recuperate, even as he continued to supply the rest of the group with the information. There was a general discussion about the merits of what Alec had come up with. But finally Max held up a hand to silence them.

"How much more recon would be needed on these smaller jobs?" she asked of him, quietly, though her words penetrated loud and clear.

"Not much,' Alec offered just as softly. "Two of the places have rotating security, so we'll need to do the recon that night." Max nodded and he saw her inhale deeply. Her eyes were still slightly unfocused and she seemed almost to be battling with herself about something. Finally she came to a decision and stared straight at him.

"Set up the teams," she directed. "X3's through X5's."

"Actually, I was thinking," Alec began, though he threw a glance at Mole, since this was something they'd discussed together a few times, "these missions are easy enough, we should probably include a few of the X6's."

"Alec!" her voice hit him, staccato sharp and he recoiled without realizing it, stunned at the first really real bite from her since her accident. She seemed to realize it too, the way her eyes immediately darkened. With visible effort, she controlled herself. "Make up the teams and you, Mole and I will sit down and discuss that idea later. Okay?"

Alec stared at her, wondering what the hell was going on in her brain now. Why on earth would she have objections to including the younger kids in a simple sneak and peek mission? It was what they were designed for and Manticore sure as hell hadn't worried about sending those teen aged kids into much worse. Hell, she knew that. It was the same for all of the operable X class series and for a lot of the transhumans. Indoctrination into combat and or their selected specialties came at an early age. But, perhaps, she'd clue him in later, probably with Mole there to act as a buffer. That was actually a much better idea than getting into it now. "Okay," he agreed. He glanced at the lizard man, seated to his right and noticed him agreeing as well with the nod of his head.

The meeting then continued, the rest of the information filtering through Alec's brain. He didn't pay too much attention, since today was just like all the days before them. No real surprises. The public at large was behaving exactly as they had predicted they would. Things were needed. People came.

All stuff they'd been through before and now was just their way of formally informing each other what they were up to each day. Eventually it came to an end and like the others, Alec could feel the surging of motion through his body. He and the others around him were starting to fidget. Once all the formalities were out of the way, then it would be there cue to gather up whatever they'd brought with them, usually coffee cups, like he and Max had today, and head out to their respective areas of work or play. For some, like Mole one was more the other.

But even as he noticed the others beginning to get ready to push away from the table, he also noticed that Max had scootched herself a little closer. He had the bad feeling that she was just getting ready for the long haul. And that was confirmed just seconds later when her voice rang out with a hesitant quality.

"I know that we've covered everything that was on my list," she began, glancing around at each of them in turn. "But there was something else I wanted to discuss." Wary glances were exchanged, quick and covert and Alec noticed that Max noticed but was pretending she hadn't. "This is not for general consumption at this time. I want that understood immediately." She looked them straight in the eye, turn by turn and Alec, found himself nodding his agreement along with the rest of them. It was a great hook, he realized. Offer up a secret to the terminally curious group that they all were.

Max waited until the shuffling and resettling of the group was complete and all eyes were once again on her. "As some of you might know, I called my friend Sketchy yesterday. I know all of you have at least met him." There were nods all around. "He is currently employed at New World Weekly, which if you didn't know is pretty much a tabloid rag."

Alec watched Max, disturbed by this suddenly overly serious mien. Max was addressing them as if they were a completely unknown quantity. That didn't bode well.

"The reason I called Sketchy is part of a plan that's been forming in my mind," Max announced and Alec hid his grin. And she had them back! "The thing is, what I've come up with, it's going to need the co-operation and understanding of everyone. Not just us here in this room, but all of the transgenics and transhumans. If things come together like I hope, everyone will be involved, but this will eventually fall under the purvue of security."

"Maybe you could be a little more specific about things sweetheart," Mole snarked lazily. Max regarded Mole, moistening her lower lip before she replied.

"All right," she began, clasping her hands on the table before her. Her notebook had been pushed aside and Alec could see that if she'd had any little speech planned, it had been thrown out the window. Max just seemed to be a fly by the seat of your pants kind of girl when it came to this sort of stuff. "Any of you who have ever studied human history, and I know you have, are aware that humans live in a state of fear." There were eye rolls at that, and Alec was slightly chagrined to find himself included in that category. 'Way to state the obvious there Max.' "The wars, AIDS, global warming and the greenhouse effect, crime on the rise..." she enumerated softly.

"And now us," Dix announced matter of factly.

"Exactly," Max nodded once. "But the stupid thing is, aside from the wars and disease, what has there been to be afraid of?"

"What exactly do you mean?" Callie asked, a small frown marring her delicate face.

"The reason that the normal population fear these things," Max explained, "is because the triumvirate make them fear it."

"The triumvirate?"Joshua asked, totally confused. It was a confusion echoed on some other faces, Alec realized. Even he wasn't quite sure what Max was getting at here.

"Sorry," Max smiled ruefully. "The political, legal and media groups that determine which way the wind blows." Faces cleared as she said that. "Looking at things logically, people have honest things to be scared of, but we all know the how out of proportion that fear can get when it's constantly being reported by the media. When the politicians and police pick it up, that fear just keeps growing. An interesting fact, Americans believed back in the twentieth that crime was more rampant than ever, but if you looked at the numbers, the overall crime rate of the country had declined by twelve percent over the last decade of the century."

"Really?" Doc asked, his lips curved up into a rueful grin. Max nodded, her own face matching his.

"And global warming?" Max continued. "Complete crock. The polar ice caps for the most part are getting thicker. We're actually into another ice age. Just a minor one."

"As fascinating as this is," Mole drawled, interrupting, "what the hell does it have to do with anything."

"I'll tell you," Max provided simply, leaning forward. "We're getting ready to fight fire with fire." And she had them hooked again, Alec realized. This was almost kind of fun, seeing how far Max could press her luck rambling, before she was reeling their attention back in. "We're going to pull out every stop we know to eliminate this crap going around about us. I'll tell you what I have in mind and if you have any suggestions or ideas, sing out!"

Alec was amazed to discover that almost two hours had gone by without them really realizing it. Once Max had fully explained her self-imposed campaign, everyone had gotten on board, himself included. They'd come up with solid ideas, fleshed things out and now ever single one of them had more tasks added to their regular duties. And if the mood around the room was anything to judge by, it was something that everyone was kind of looking forward to. Max casually dismissed the group and as everyone stood up, Alec could see that Max had pulled Joshua to one side and was speaking earnestly with him about something. Joshua was grinning and nodding, so Alec wasn't too worried. He waited patiently until everyone else finally filed out of the room. Not bothering with the door, Alec waited until Max had gathered up her book, pen and long empty coffee cup. She could probably use a refill from the commissary by now.

"So what do you really think Alec?" she asked as she neared him and he was surprised to find a smidgen of apprehension on her face. Was she really worried what he thought? Apparently so. Did she think that he'd been holding something back during the entire discussion? Possibly.

"I think it's brilliant Maxie," he grinned suddenly. "I mean, I thought about some of this stuff. But the way you put it... those ordinaries won't know what hit them." He was pleased to hear her sigh of relief and her eyes and face lit up once more.

"I know," she nodded as they made their way to their respective offices. No one had lingered up on the catwalk, so they could talk with the barest modicum of privacy. "I wasn't so sure... but, well, I guess everyone got the points I was trying to make."

"Yeah," Alec nodded, although a thought was occurring to him. "This wasn't what you wanted to use me for a soundboard, is it?"

"Oh no," Max shook her head as she stopped outside her door. "That's something a little different. And don't worry," she chuckled, seemingly in response to the grimace Alec felt tugging at his face. "It's nothing bad. Or at least I hope it isn't."

"It might help if you give me more of a clue than that," Alec protested with a smile, even though he really was wondering what it was that Max had to talk to him about. A litany of possibilities ran through his mind, but nothing seemed right.

"I guess you'll just have to wait until tonight to find out," Max quipped, opening the door to her office. "Seven good for you?"

"Uh, yeah," Alec agreed hesitantly, wondering if something might possibly come up at the last minute to change those plans. He wasn't sure if he was hoping for or against that possibility.

"And you're bringing dinner?" Max clarified and confirmed.

"That was the plan, right?" Alec nodded.

"Good," Max grinned, tilting her head to the side in a way that Alec found charming. She slipped into her office. "See you then." And shut the door firmly behind herself.


	10. Moment Of Wonder

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Rating: PG-15

Pairing: M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

Spoilers/ Time line: Sequel to Dream Within.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first, please.

Chapter Ten

Moment Of Wonder

"Hey Alec," a voice called out the moment that Alec entered the mess hall. Although that was just the loose term that they used for the old diner that the transgenics were using as a food preparation center. They'd actually just completed knocking down the wall that stood between said diner and the building next door where they had set up tables and chairs for those that chose to stay and eat rather than taking their food home with them. Alec was glad that they were done with that messy chore, one that he'd hoped to and successfully avoided participating in. Slinging a sledgehammer wasn't exactly high on his to-try list in life. But now that the hole was complete, he figured that it would mean less plaster dust filled food. Although maybe that had been a bonus, because in some cases, for some of the cooks who'd been yanked into service, it added a little flavor. But to Alec's relief, he'd seen that Grift, the transgenic who'd greeted him upon entry, was on the list to cook that night. And while Grift had admitted that he'd never really been into cooking before, he was known for turning out decent meals. At least, he never tried anything fancy and overblown, especially given their limited supplies and budget.

"Hey man," Alec grinned as he lazily made his way over to the counter. Someone, Alec wasn't sure who, had procured a white board and each day, the chef du jour would write out what they were planning for meals. That way, people had a choice. If you wanted the slop, come and get it, if not, you were on your own. And for this evening, the...Alec stifled a chuckle as he read the solitary menu, _baby crap casserole_, would have to do. "Two to go tonight," he offered in a resigned tone. Grift just nodded his head and reached for two plates. The serving spoon that he pulled from the gloppy mess made a _splooch_-like noise and Alec winced. "What the hell is in that stuff?"

Grift shrugged one shoulder as he separated the plates. "Ah let's see, I was gonna go Mexican tonight, so refried beans, rice, but then Gem showed up."

"Uh oh," Alec responded automatically. He knew that whenever the pair of them worked together, there were all sorts of arguments. Good-natured for the most part, but like most women Alec knew, Gem was just as stubborn as the rest.

"And she insisted that we throw something healthy in," Grift continued his story, his blue eyes lighting up under his mop of shaggy brown hair. "And before I could stop her man, she threw in those canned carrots and green beans. And they were all mushy, you know..."

Alec's nose wrinkled up as the first spoonful of the so called casserole hit the plate. "And that's why dinner tonight is this lovely shade of putrid?" he asked teasingly.

"Kiss the cook's ass, man," Grift chuckled as he reached for more of the goopy mixture.

"What are you doing?" Gem demanded as she turned the corner out of the kitchen, catching sight of the pair of them.

"Feedin' the teeming masses woman," Grift shot back. "What the hell are you doin'?"

"Feeding the hungry child," Gem grumbled, striving to keep her voice down as she shifted a sleeping baby Angie in her arms. "I told you that."

"I forgot," Grift winked in Alec's direction and the blond X-5 was quite sure that it was a lie. Any red-blooded male wouldn't forget either the thought of contemplating any woman's exposed breasts or on the flip side of that, avoiding wherever she was at so there wouldn't be any awkwardness as she went about the business of nursing said child.

"Stop that," Gem protested again, moving forward to grab Grift's hand that still held the spoon. For a moment Alec thought that Gem had realized that he and Grift were silently communicating typically licentious male thoughts and what have you, but then realized that she was focused on the plates of food.

"What are you doing?" Grift started to yell, but in mid-sentence dropped to a whisper as Gem glared angrily and turned Angie away so that she wouldn't be wakened. "The man wants his dinner."

"I'm actually reconsidering," Alec quipped as he stared down at the congealing mass of produce on the plates.

"And so you should," Gem broke in. "Don't worry Alec," she assured him with a wide smile. "I've got your stuff right here." Gem gestured to the back counter, where two bags sat, both with Alec's name on them.

"My stuff?" Alec puzzled. "I don't remember putting in an order for 'stuff'." Gem rolled her eyes at that.

"You really think I'd let you serve Max that junk at your special dinner tonight?" the woman scoffed.

"My special what?" Alec choked out. "When did you-? Who said-? What the hell...?" he gaped at her. How the hell did Gem know about their dinner? He hadn't told anyone. Maybe Max had...

"Max told me this morning," Gem replied happily. As she reached for the first bag and swung it towards Alec, who took it automatically. "And I figured that if the two of you were going to have a nice dinner together, then you should actually have a nice dinner. And not," she threw Grift a withering glance as she reached for the second bag, "whatever crap Dumbo over here managed to come up with."

"It's only crap thanks to you," Grift smirked, not really upset over what they ended up arguing about every time they worked together.

"It's not a nice dinner," Alec spluttered in denial, "it's just... dinner. A working dinner."

"Oh, what are you working on?" Gem asked with feigned polite interest as she carefully jiggled Angie a bit to encourage the snuffling baby to stay asleep.

"I-!" Alec had to pause. Well, he couldn't exactly say now could he, since he didn't really know. And no, it wasn't work related, it was... something else. But it was most definitely not what Gem was thinking. And now that infuriating blond was giving him a look so full of smugness...

"Uh huh," she grunted and then brightened again. "Oh, hang on, I'll get your dessert." She turned and hurried into the back again as Alec turned dumbfounded eyes back to Grift who was no longer struggling to contain his laughter.

"Boy, I wonder if I'd get the special treatment if I had a dinner date."

"It's not a date," Alec hissed, glancing around, finally noticing the attention they were attracting.

"Let's see, just you and Max, no one else," Grift counted out on his fingers, "eating in privacy, special food... yup! It's a date."

"No it's not," Alec protested again, wondering why he was getting so steamed up about this. It wasn't like he cared what everyone else thought. But still, Max would probably hear about this one way or another and all the blame would come to rest on his head. And he really didn't want that. "It's an appointment to discuss some things and we are eating while we work. Okay?"

"Whatever you say, boss man," Grift shrugged as he began scraping the plates back into the serving vats. He paused after a moment, "but if it's not a date, then maybe you'd better take the crap casserole. Wouldn't want to give Max the wrong idea, right?" Alec didn't even hesitate, he just hugged the bags tightly to his chest.

"Doesn't matter what you call it man," he snorted. "Anything, even surprise a la Gem is better than that shit." They both laughed and Gem smiled again as she emerged from the back.

"Here you go," she offered, sliding what looked like two tiny pies across the counter. "Chocolate pudding tarts," she announced at Alec's interested look. "I didn't have enough to make an entire pie and I..." she licked her lips nervously and glanced away before turning apologetic eyes to the male standing across from her. "Well, I had to make a few substitutions. But it should be okay, right?"

Alec swallowed nervously. "Uh, what did you..."

"Well," Gem tilted her head to the side, "the recipe called for milk and I-!"

"Oh good God woman!" Grift whimpered, mortified. "You didn't!"

"What," Gem demanded and Alec knew exactly what the other transgenic was thinking. He wasn't exactly thrilled himself with the thought, even as much as it was a natural and beautiful thing, as some people kept insisting. It took Gem a moment to catch up before she blushed hotly. "Ew! No! I used canned milk you idiots!"

Alec felt relieved and carefully slid the tarts onto the top of one of the bags and began to beat a hasty retreat from the glowering duo. "Okay, thanks a lot. Really nice of you Gem. I'll return the plates or whatever tomorrow. Okay, buh bye."

"Uh huh," Gem called to his back. "And Alec?" He paused at the doorway. "Don't forget to wash behind your ears!"

"It's not a date!" he barked again as he hurried out the door.

By the time Alec made it back to the apartment complex, doubts and worries had begun to swirl around his head again. Forefront in his mind, was why Max had told Gem, of all people, about their meeting tonight. Was it just something she'd dropped in the normal course of conversation? Or perhaps they'd been giggling over it during one of their more frequent meetings? And that in itself was odd as well. Alec had never really considered that Max and Gem would end up friends. They just, aside from Manticore and the fiasco at Jam Pony several weeks ago, didn't have anything in common. Except, well, there was Gem's baby, of course. Lately it seemed as if Max was enjoying spending time with little Angie. And she certainly seemed to get some of the finer points of child care that seemed to elude the non-parental units wandering their fair city. But Gem wasn't the only mother in Terminal City, Alec was sure of that. So why had Max and Gem glommed onto each other?

Realizing that he was now standing just outside Max's door, he shifted nervously on his feet. Did Max think this was more than it was? She was the one that had requested the meeting. Was there more to it than she had said? No, she had agreed that it was just a brainstorming session. But what could she possibly want to brainstorm about. Shifting the two bags and the precariously perched desserts carefully, Alec freed one hand to knock. And barely realizing it, after he'd knocked, his hand went to straighten out the collar of the button down shirt he was wearing.

Well, okay, so he wasn't going to go all out, washing and primping like Gem had been suggesting. But that didn't mean that he couldn't look presentable. It was something ingrained in him, like the rest of his fellow soldiers, to look his best. After all, he was a representative after a fashion, of the entire country. But gradually, that soldier mentality had morphed into a pride in how he looked when he was calling the shots. And Alec liked looking good. It was his first defense against the world around him. If he _looked_ good, then he must _be_ good. And right now it seemed, he needed that little extra boost of confidence and ego, when he was walking into an unknown situation with a woman that was puzzling and confounding him every time he turned around.

"Alec?" he heard her call from inside the apartment. Before he could reply, she spoke again, "you can come on in. I'll be out in a second."

Alec closed his mouth and with a wry grin, reached to open the door. The grin slipped though, the moment the tiny pies attempted that very thing. Quickly he reached to steady them, just managing. He didn't want to be the one to tell Gem that her painstaking efforts had been ruined because he'd had a moment of clumsy inattention. Deciding to get the food to the nearest available flat surface, Alec glanced around Max's apartment. Spying a new makeshift coffee table in her living room, he headed that way.

"Alec?" Max called again and Alec realized that she must be in the bathroom, since that door was closed and the one to her bedroom was standing open. Alec blinked a few times and pushed the thoughts of that room away. Really didn't need to go there. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," he called back, his voice hitching momentarily and then stronger, "yeah it's me. Sorry, I was just setting stuff down before it fell down."

"You brought dinner?" she called back, her voice even more muffled and Alec heard the telltale swishing of water and his eyes widened. Max was cleaning up? Did she think... He sucked his lower lip into his mouth for a moment, biting lightly. _Crap!_

There was no time to finish that thought as the door to the bathroom swung open and Max emerged. The full flesh of his lower lip slipped from his mouth and the corner of his lip curved upward as Alec took her in. Those plaid pajama pants and old gray t-shirt were definitely not date material clothing. But darned if she didn't look so adorably cute with her hair pulled into a high ponytail atop her head and her face freshly scrubbed. "Well look who's all squeaky clean," the teasing words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them.

But lucky for him, Max didn't seem to take it amiss, just grunting softly and rubbing at her chin for a moment. "Stupid pen," she muttered.

"Huh?" Alec's other corner of his mouth joined in to complete the symmetry of the appendage in a full-blown smile. Max crossed her arms over her mid-section and rolled her eyes.

"I was making some notes and my stupid pen decided to explode," she explained, her voice huffy, though her manner was calm.

"On your face?" Alec's eyes widened and Max dropped her gaze to the floor, as if it were suddenly a lot more interesting than anything else going on in that room. Alec strained to hear her quickly mumbled explanation of how, okay, she might just have been chewing on the end of it while she thought. But it wasn't like it was chomping, and none of her other stupid pens ever did that. There was just a moment and then a snicker escaped him. "Sorry," he threw out quickly, "but only you Max, would blame the pen."

Max shook her head. "I know," she agreed with a more petulant than disgruntled note in her voice. "But jeez Alec, they just don't make things like they used to, you know."

"Ah, not really," Alec shrugged.

"Well, anyway," Max shrugged as well, "I was trying to scrub it off. Did I miss anything?" she asked clearly and turned her face up to his for inspection. Alec wasn't surprised at how quickly his heartbeat ratcheted up a notch as she had stepped forward. He was startled by how clear and pink her complexion was. How dark her eyes and hair were by comparison. He grit his teeth gently, trying once more to focus his eyes away from what he shouldn't be concentrating on. Unfortunately, she wasn't helping in the least as she waited patiently for his answer. But there...

"Uh," Alec sighed as his hand automatically came up for use in emphasizing his point. But he just as swiftly, turned it away, instead pointing at his own mouth, mirroring where he'd seen the tiniest hint of a splotch of blue. "Right there," he answered tightly. "Still a little." He didn't miss the way her eyes slowly flickered down to where his finger rested at the corner of his mouth. But the moment passed quickly and she moved back, her eyes lit up with something Alec didn't quite recognize.

"Bad?" she asked, her voice once again light and unconcerned over any effect she was having on him. And for once, Alec was grateful for her easy dismissal of him.

"Not really," he nodded. "Not like you'd be a shoo-in for that old Blue Guy group." Max grinned and her head tilted to the side.

"Makes you kind of wonder if they went all out, huh?" she chuckled. At Alec's perplexed look, she explained further. "Was it just face painting or..." she trailed off suggestively and Alec's lips tightened. Did they really need to be discussing painting naked body parts and _oh man_, another place to not go! But she seemed to catch the hint that Alec didn't feel like discussing this and spun on her heel. "Well, I scrubbed as much as I could off. I guess I'll just have to live with it until it fades away. So what's on the menu tonight?" She moved towards her kitchen and Alec, glad to put some distance between them, headed for the bags, seating himself on the low couch.

"On the menu," he parroted, trying to inject a note of ease into his voice. "Well, that would be baby crap casserole

"Really?" she murmured after a moment and it was swiftly followed by a short, low chuckle. "Do I even want to know?"

"Eh, it wasn't _that_ bad," Alec shrugged. "Just that Gem was making a few additions and it got kinda... mushy."

"All right," Max nodded. She jerked her head slightly towards the kitchen. "Did you grab utensils, or should I...?"

"Not sure," Alec grinned, realizing that he now had a chance to tweak her nose a little. "Gem said that she threw together something for our... dinner. Not sure exactly what we've got here," he gestured towards the bags in her living room. Max's face registered a slight surprise.

"Well that was nice of her," she smiled and began moving towards the living room. She turned slightly and brushed past Alec when he didn't automatically step out of her way. "I didn't tell her about this just so that she could go to all this trouble."

"Oh, so you _did_ tell her," Alec confirmed what Gem had already mentioned. The question of why, though, still remained. Max glanced up even as she took a seat, reaching for the bags and nodded.

"Uh huh," she muttered. "She asked this morning if I wanted to have supper with Joshua while he was babysitting Angie tonight, while she's working the diner. Normally, I would have," Max lifted one shoulder gently as she explained. "But I told Gem that I didn't think it was fair to rope you into this brainstorming session and then back out. Besides, I can always go visit Joshua and Angie later."

"Yeah, it'd have to be later," Alec grinned. "Josh hadn't picked Angie up yet when I was down there," he explained as he took her silent offer to have a seat. So Gem had known all along what was up and had what? Decided to jerk him around a little bit with her teasing. And who knew, maybe what she'd packed in the bags was no better than what Grift had been going to serve them. Well, there was only one way to find out and get to the end of Gem's little machinations.

Max was nodding absently as she removed the tarts from the bags and set them to the side. "Those look good," she grunted and then busied herself unrolling the carefully folded paper bag top. She peered inside, one eyebrow arching up immediately. "Okay, _that _was nice of her."

"What was?" Alec asked, leaning towards Max to get a view of her dinner.

"M.R.E.'s," she answered shortly, upending the bag into her lap. Alec's eyebrows shot up as the plain brown box that contained the military 'meals ready to eat', slid out. His hand darted out for the other bag and the result was the same. In one of the more recent supply runs, Alec and his team had managed to score several dozen cartons of the MRE's. Upon realization of what they had, the boxes had been partitioned out to pregnant and nursing mothers in order to try and meet the minimum nutritional requirements of those groups. Since the meals contained not only the main dish, but beverage, snacks, toilet paper and gum, they considered themselves extremely lucky. And while the MRE's had once upon a time garnered a bad reputation for their lack of taste, many strides had been made in the quality of the product and they were now coveted by those not in the Armed Forces and so used to this amenity. So, for Gem to have given up not just one, but two of her meals, both transgenics knew that this dinner had some significance of note in Gem's mind. But what exactly they were supposed to achieve to make the new mother satisfied, neither seemed to know.

"We really shouldn't," Alec sighed, biting at his lower lip as he stared longingly at the nondescript box. Dare he check and see what delectable meal his box contained? He couldn't seem to help himself, his eyes darting downwards, especially as he saw Max doing the exact same thing. Inhaling deeply, he grunted out, "Mexican chicken., Not bad." And he wasn't lying. "What'd you get?"

"Salisbury steak," Max informed him with a grin. Alec glanced up at her and noticed her eying the box in his lap. A grin curled his lips upwards.

"Trade?" he asked cheekily. Again, he couldn't help himself. He loved the steak. And judging by the rapidity with which Max was nodding, she was definitely in the mood for spicy chicken and rice. Guess Graft was getting his wish after all, at least for one hungry customer. The pair traded and broke open the boxes. They spread their treasures over the coffee table. Both boxes contained the usual peanut butter and crackers, gum, instant coffee and other little things essential to daily survival. But Max's contained the ultimate treasure of M&M's, while Alec only got a granola bar. He knew he was pouting but instead of gloating like he thought she would, Max simply grinned.

"If you'll get the water and get these started, I'll share," she offered, waving the brown packet of candy in the air. Alec laughed heartily, already pushing himself up off the couch and moving towards the kitchen.

They made quick work of preparing their respective meals. All it took was some water, the chemically activated heating elements and soon their food was sliding onto their waiting plates in a cloud of delicious smelling steam. Once they'd settled back in the sofa, Alec was more than prepared to begin work as he and Max both appreciatively gave in to the urge to fill their stomachs.

"So what did you want to brainstorm about?" he asked easily, lifting his thumb up to his mouth to lick off a small drop of sauce mired there. Max gave him a small grin at the action, but then shook her head, giving him no chance to discern what she was thinking.

"Eat first, talk later," she grunted and her lashes fluttered downward as she sighed her appreciation over the medley of flavors in her mouth. At least that was what Alec was hoping she was sighing over and not his determination to get through this evening. He shrugged to himself. At the pace they were going, it wouldn't take long.

"Oh man, this is good," he muttered a moment later. For some reason, it felt like it had been forever since he'd come anywhere close to a decent meal. And while MRE's were strictly nutritious and definitely not four star, they were familiar and that in some strange way was comforting to him. Max, reaching for the bottled water that she had transformed into lemon flavored, sweetened iced tea, thanks to her MRE packet, nodded her agreement.

"It actually reminds me of this little Taco stand that OC, Herbal and Sketchy and I used to go to some times for lunch," she chuckled and then took a swig of her drink.

"Really?" Alec grunted. "How come you never invited me?"

"They went belly up before I came back," Max grinned cheekily. "Besides, I didn't know then that you liked Mexican."

"I like pretty much everything," Alec shrugged one shoulder, speaking absently, tritely as he processed her words in his mind. _"Didn't know then'_. So that meant what, that she knew now? And how did she know? When had she figured that out? They fell silent again, finishing their main meals. Alec didn't feel bad at all about scooping up the sauce with his forefinger, since Max was doing exactly the same thing. They grinned at each other like naughty children that were intent on stealing cookies from the cookie jar, sharing that _'I won't tell on you if you don't tell on me' _look. Finally, they set their plates down and Max reached for the tarts that she had moved out of the way.

"Oh hey," Alec grimaced as the pudding wobbled precariously where it was nestled in the crust. "I'm not so sure about those."

"What d'ya mean?" Max asked with a slight hint of alarm. "What's wrong with them?"

Alec reached out for his as Max carefully passed it to him. "Dunno for sure. Gem said that she had to change the recipe a bit, but she thought they'd be okay."

"Change the recipe how?"

"Uh, she didn't have milk, so she had to substitute," Alec answered.

"What about the canned milk we had?" Max demanded, her face scrunching up a little. "It can't be all gone yet. Can it?"

Alec smiled and shook his head, especially as Max didn't realize that she'd just made an unintentional very poor pun. "That's what she used, instead of fresh. And how'd you know about the canned milk. Been looking over shoulders again?"

At his admission, Max relaxed back onto the sofa again. "Nope," she shook her head. "I know because I snagged a few for my coffee. And the pudding will be fine. Canned milk just doesn't let it gel as well as fresh." Alec was sure his perplexion was clear on his face. Where were all these little tidbits coming from? Max was never one to openly share these random little things with people, especially him. Maybe this was a good thing though, he decided. Maybe it indicated that Max was more than willing to actually treat him as a friend and not... well, whatever the hell he'd been to her before now. But Max didn't seem to notice as she was reaching for the bag of chocolate candies. Looking quite satisfied, she ripped open the little bag and carefully poured a good dose of the candies into the pudding and stirred it together with her fork. She took a bite and let out a soft moan. "Um, so good."

Alec felt his mouth go dry at hearing that devastatingly sexy sound. He stared, watching her, dumbfounded. How the hell could this woman make eating pudding so... so... There was just no word for what the little noises she was making in the back of her throat was doing to him. Alec realized then that Max had finally swallowed the mouthful that she was savoring and had begun to turn to him. His mouth snapped shut just in time, but there was something in her eye, some hint of amusement that told Alec that maybe Max was a little more perceptive, intuitive, than he'd thought before. And that thought jarred him into remembering something that he'd wanted to talk to her about.

"Did you want some?" Max asked sweetly, holding out the bag that contained the rest of the chocolate candies. Alec gave a short nod, softened by a little smirk, trying to regain some measure of defense against her. Without words, he took the bag from her and mimicked her actions, combining deserts. And she was right, it was good, although usually crunchy pie filling wasn't a good sign. But in this case... Alec, determined not to get side-tracked again, let the fork linger in his mouth as he sucked all remnants of chocolate from it. Not realizing what it might look like from Max's point of view, her soft chuckle and knowing stare had him fighting a blush as he swiftly removed the utensil. He swallowed hastily, for more reasons than one and leaned over to set the tart on the coffee table.

"Max," he began slowly, softly, wondering with uncharacteristic nervousness, "can we talk?" If he hadn't been so worried about what her reaction might be, he might have stopped to appreciate the comical way she mimicked him, the fork in her mouth, turning to stare at him, eyes wide with apprehension.

"I though' we were," she mumbled, her voice slightly garbled by the blockage in her mouth. Alec just steeled himself to stare her down and to his relief, it didn't take long. Like him, she removed the fork, though she didn't relinquish her tart. She swallowed, licked her lips and gave a resigned sigh. "Talk about what?"

"Those kids today," Alec answered promptly. "And how you knew their names before they'd told you. Did you... had you ever met them before?"

Her eyes still wide, Max shook her head in the negative. Alec gave a short, unamused chuckle. "Well, that just leaves my only other idea. Have you somehow become telepathic?" He tried to pass it off jokingly, but he was sure that she could hear the underlying fear tremor through him before he swiftly brought it under control. Luckily for him, Max made no comment on that, but instead started shaking her head vehemently in the negative.

"No, oh no, not that," she babbled and then grinned. "It actually kind of startled me too."

"What did?" Alec asked, intrigued, leaning forward to await her answer. Max glanced sideways at him, seeming startled by his nearness and leaned away slightly to answer, though not before a slight flush tinged her cheeks.

"Uh, well, um, you know my dream?" she hedged. "I mean, that dream I had a few days ago?" she corrected herself hastily, which made Alec wonder what other dreams she might be referring to. But he quickly clamped the lid on that line of thought. This was information he really wanted, no, needed to know.

"The future according to Maxie?" he prompted and she nodded again.

"Well, uh, those kids were, uh, in the dream," she finished in a hurry. Alec blinked, tried to understand what she was telling him and then blinked again.

"You... what?" he shook his head, much like a dog shaking water from it's ears.

"I know," Max chuckled, sounding half-relieved that she was now able to admit this and half in awe as if this were as unthinkable to her as it was to Alec. "Weird huh?"

"You're telling me," Alec clarified, his hand moving to rest, palm splayed over his chest, though his elbow still rested up on the back of the couch were he'd moved it when he'd turned, "that you dreamt about those kids? In the future?" Max sucked in her lower lip, biting at the corner while she nodded slowly in the affirmative. "And you knew them?" She nodded again. "And their names..."

"I'm uh, I'm not really sure what to think about it either," she admitted softly and Alec was caught by the sheer amount of nervousness and fear he could suddenly feel emanating off of her. It was familiar in a strange way. And Alec realized suddenly that this was what had kept him off-kilter for the days since her accident. It wasn't his fears and worries he was reacting to. It was hers. And he was caught in the stunning realization of how close they'd become, without either realizing it that they could possibly read this off of each other without logical thought. Just deep emotion and instinct. The most primal parts of their minds and bodies. And then...

"And Jiminy?" he asked with his typical smirk. If that punk had been in Max's dreams... Oh, he didn't want to go there. But it would explain Max's gaffe when the guy had arrived.

Max inhaled deeply, staring down at her pie before she let out a little laugh. "Yeah, him too." She grinned up at Alec. "You know," she began and Alec forced himself to focus on her words, rather than the trickle of bone-deep jealousy that was rampaging through him. "In my dream, he was a secretary?"

"A...?" Alec began to repeat, but before the sputtering words could come out, the laughter erupted first. Max pressed her lips together, trying to obviously hold in her own laughter, but was rapidly failing and soon with the release of the mirth, the momentary tension arisen from the subject had been dispelled. Alec inhaled deeply once he was finished laughing and shook his head wonderingly. "Okay, so you haven't suddenly become psychic?" he reaffirmed.

"No," Max chuckled, once again stirring her fork through her dessert. Her hand paused in the action as she threw Alec a heavily lidded glance and he was slightly startled to see a smirk, just like the one he often employed against others, hovering on her lips. "But I don't need to be when ah, some people are just so obvious in their body language, that I know exactly what they're thinking. Hmm Alec?" His eyes grew wide at that statement before he could stop himself. But then she laughed again, rich and low in the back of her throat and he realized that Max had just knocked him off kilter again with a joking ruse. It had to be. Didn't it? There was no way she knew exactly what he was thinking, was there? He hastened to reassure himself that he wasn't all that obvious. At least, she could only... and then Alec realized that Max had calmly turned back to eating her dessert, completely ignoring him now in favor of the chocolate. And she as sure as hell was going to know that something was up if he didn't start covering better. Otherwise, this role reversal of her teasing him and he getting all flustered and angry was going to be annoyingly permanent. And Alec just was not comfortable with that.

Deciding to put this deep thought moment on the back burner, just like all the rest of the past few days, Alec forced himself to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures before him. Good food, an amenable friend and a little peace after a hectic, paper filled day. It didn't take long before they were finished with the dinner portion of the evening. Max, done before he, jumped up from the sofa and began collecting the waste left behind. She took Alec's plate before he could get up to help her and she just shook her head when he made a move to help her. Grinning his appreciation, he relaxed back into the couch.

"So, are we finally getting down to business?" he asked cheekily.

"Yes, finally," Max laughingly agreed over her shoulder as she carried their plates into her meager kitchen. "Can you grab my notepad? It's got what I wanted to discuss on it."

"All righty," Alec agreed, standing up and glancing around. The new coffee table had been clear when he arrived. Knowing that Max used any surface available, wondered if she'd left them on the floor. He glanced around but didn't see anything. "Not seeing it Max," he announced, loud enough for her to hear over the running of the water as she rinsed the plates off. She paused momentarily in her work, tilting her head back as she thought.

"Oh, right," she muttered finally. "I was making notes while I... it's in the bedroom on the dresser," she announced and went back to finishing her chore. Alec nodded and spun on his heel. Okay, get in, get the notes and get out, he told himself. Easy as pie.

He darted into her bedroom, intent on ignoring everything but getting the notes. He was doing okay tonight, handling the feelings that Max had always evoked in him, even though they'd seemed to grow larger and more voracious about knocking him on his figurative ass lately, but Alec wanted to keep himself on track. And yet, that still didn't keep him from noticing that Max hadn't made her bed that day. But that was okay, Alec firmly told himself. It just meant she was busy, or not that much of a housekeeper or she'd been distracted, or she wasn't expecting company in the bedroom... that last thought was actually kind of comforting.

With a sharp gasp of relief, Alec found the notepad on the dresser, like she'd said and grabbing it up, firmly told himself to ignore the little toiletries and other feminine accoutrement that were scattered about. Darting his eyes away, he spun back around and made for the door. But not before something white and... lacy... caught his eye.

Draped as it was, over the corner at the foot of the bed, the garment must have been there for a while, if Max had just thrown off her covers that morning and covered it up. Alec took a step towards the bed, a frown marring his face, a sharp creasing line slashing through his forehead. He hooked the material with his forefinger, pulling it free of the blanket that trapped it. His eyes darkened as thoughts, too varied and puzzled to sort out for several moments, raced through his mind. But he wouldn't have an answer, just conjecture.

Wondering what the hell else was going on with Max, almost afraid to hear the answers, nonetheless, Alec was compelled to determine just what in the world was happening to Max. He had to know...he just... had to.

Unable to explain the compulsion to himself, let alone anyone else, Alec held the lacy garment in his hand, the notepad in the other and headed at a quick pace back out to the main room. He stopped several feet from where Max stood at the counter. "Max?" he asked, his voice low and full of concern.

"Uh huh?" she asked, not turning around."

"Max," he spoke softly and she stiffened, obviously reading the tension that he knew was rolling off him and turned her head to regard him over her shoulder once more. Her eyes widened as he held up the garment he'd found. Alec licked his suddenly dry mouth and regarded her with something akin to heart clenching fear. "Really don't know what's going on here," he began, his words still soft and vague, but getting stronger as he continued. He swallowed past a sudden lump in his throat. "But are you trying to tell me something here?"


	11. Tricks & Treats

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Rating: PG-15

Pairing: M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

Spoilers/ Time line: Sequel to Dream Within.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first, please.

Chapter Eleven

Tricks & Treats

"And what could that possibly be?" Max chuckled, shaking her head slightly. She had rested her hands against the counter at which she stood, regarding him still from over her shoulder. "I thought you knew everything."

"Yeah, not quite," Alec countered with quiet tones. "See, I'm trying to figure out why you'd have a fancy little baby dress lying on your bed." And he was, trying to figure it out, that was. The garment was familiar to him and it had taken him a moment to recognize it from the haul that Max's acquaintance Angelo Biondello had given the transgenic moms. But why would Max have...

"Believe me Alec, my bed really is none of your business," Max snorted inelegantly and Alec's eyes shot up from his contemplation of the dress to her face once more. Instead of finding her pissed off about his presumptuousness, she seemed to be suppressing a grin.

"Yeah, well you shouldn't have sent me into your bedroom like a golden retriever then," Alec snarked back, remembering then the notepad of paper. He tossed it onto the table to be just as swiftly forgotten in light of more immediate concerns.

"I didn't," Max protested, her voice rising only slightly. Alec huffed as his arms crossed over his chest, the dress dangling from his fingertips.

"And I seem to recall not five minutes ago," he drawled, "_'can you grab my notepad? It's got what I wanted on it.'_" There, that proved his point decisively.

"And not two seconds after that, you couldn't find it," Max shot back.

"And you told me to look in the bedroom," Alec retorted. He was fighting the smile threatening to erupt on his face. This was actually kind of fun. Finally. Back on this give as good as you get footing that had been missing from their friendship for a while now.

"I did not," Max protested. "Never once did the words 'go into my bedroom and get it' pass my lips."

"That was already implied by the earlier 'grab my notepad'," Alec grunted. Really, simplicity itself. Any child could connect those orders. Couldn't they?

"I was going to get it myself," Max rolled her eyes, giving Alec the distinct impression that somehow she felt that if she was giving off the impression that she could read minds, then _everybody_ should be able to.

"But you never said that," Alec stressed. "So really, I was being nice and doing you a favor, going into your bedroom and-!" He was cut off by a sudden distressed noise coming from her as she hunched slightly over the sink. Dread, instant and panicking, engulfed Alec until he realized that the sound he was hearing was laughter. She was laughing at him? "Max?"

"Sorry," she giggled, waving one hand as she turned around to fully face him, though leaning back once again against the counter. "Just, you and bedroom favors and... jeez." She was overcome by giggles again, pressing one hand against her mouth while the other wrapped around her stomach. And while it amused Alec to see her amusement, a small niggling worm of offense began to take hold. What was so funny about him and... well it was obvious to see that her mind had gone off on another tangent. She had admitted to it easily enough. But that didn't give her the right to be laughing at him. And what the hell was so funny about what she was thinking?

"Max," his voice was low and held a hint of warning. He really was not up for dealing with anything along these lines.

"No no no," she gasped, straightening up. "Just..." she shook her head and then made a very valiant attempt at sobering herself up, though when she faced him, her eyes still held a crackle of amusement. "How about bedrooms are off limits. Well, except in case of... dire emergency?"

Alec, striving to remain placid, felt something respond to that amusement in her eyes. It was so damn good to see her laughing, carefree, more like a woman, happy with her world, rather than a soldier bogged down in a fight they might not survive. "Depends on your definition of the word emergency," slipped out of his mouth, slightly husky and definitely teasing. Somehow it amused her even more, that he'd slipped back into the flirtatious rogue he'd once been.

"Dire emergency," she reminded him with a definite shake of her head that sent her ponytail swinging. Alec couldn't help it, he let go of the placidity fully and laughed, full out with her. When they'd both finally had their fill and were gasping out tiny breaths, Alec let himself relax. And was reminded of the item in his hand that had set off the whole chain. He glanced down at it once more, catching the other sleeve with his free hand and holding it up.

"But no, I was just wondering about it, since it seemed a really odd thing for you to have," he muttered. And it was only that the greater part of his mind and body were more attuned to her and not the slip of fabric in his hands, that allowed him to catch the sharp movement she made and her tiny inhalation of air. His head snapped up to see the sudden flare of something in her eyes. The mirth and newfound ease of the evening suddenly disappeared in a heart wrenching, gut twisting suspicion that Alec didn't dare want to give voice to. But the words seemed to have a mind of their own. If it were true, then everything would make sense again. Her hesitation after her accident, her mellowed personality, his instinctive need to protect her person, the bond she had with Gem... "Max, are you pregnant?"

And once again, her head snapped up, her eyes startled. Because he had found her out? Of course, that was why she wouldn't have stayed at Logan's after the accident. There was no chance in hell that it could be Logan's. Was that why she'd been on her way over there in the first place? To tell him? To devastate the man? "No!" Alec's head jerked back at the force of her voice, snapping his attention away from these dreadful suppositions. It took him a moment to focus, already having gone past the point of what he had assumed would be her answer. To realize that she had just answered him in the negative. But something was obviously still wrong. Especially given the strict tension in her body. The way her hands...fluttered... over her stomach. Oh shit, he'd seen that before.

A new panic gripped him and Alec actually could feel his throat closing, the difficulty in breathing. The accident. Damn it! He was so stupid not to have realized. He castigated himself, silently berated himself. No wonder she'd been that way when she had woken. She must have known somehow, that a whole piece of her being had been sheared away from her. And yes, her slightly irrational fears about further injury and Gem and the baby. Alec swallowed heavily. What the hell did he say to her? What, when he was still reeling from this himself? He watched her, confusion, about her, about him, them, everything in this moment, swimming around him.

"Nor have I ever been pregnant." She said it quietly, almost angrily and Alec felt like shrinking back from the pain in her voice, while feeling immensely relieved at the same time. He almost felt disappointed. Either one of those answers that he had come up with would have explained so much.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, not knowing what else to say. Sorry that she was upset? Sorry that he'd brought up a subject that was so obviously taboo with her? Sorry that he was elated to discover that there wasn't another guy in the picture to take her attention away? Maybe all of them. But those words did have the desired effect. She lost a bit of the tension around her mouth and nodded in acknowledgment of whatever the feeling behind the apology was. Alec ran a nervous hand over the back of his neck and then, realizing he held the dress still, settled it carefully on the table. "I just thought... well, given the way you've been..."

"More cautious than usual?" Max supplied for him, her voice wry. Alec smiled tiredly, feeling unsuitably drained from these last few moments.

"I guess the filter between my brain and my mouth experienced a mild coma," he offered. He hadn't meant it to, since it was the truth, but that statement got another smile. And then a sigh.

"Happens to the best of us," she shrugged one shoulder. "And, as it turns out, that dress is a gift for Angie."

"Oh," Alec pursed his lips and nodded, his attention directed back to the fabric that had set this off. And while yes, the filter in his brain was once again actively engaged, he still wasn't quite satisfied with that answer. "Um, don't hold it against me or anything Max, but, isn't that rather crass?" Before she could protest, as she obviously was going to, Alec rushed on. "I mean, I know we're hard up on stuff around here, but I never thought that you'd give a kid used clothing as a gift."

Max's jaw set suddenly and her arms crossed over her chest as disapproval at his presumption swept through her in apparent rapidity. "For your information, Alec," the words were sharp, "the dress is just part of it."

Alec, glad to be getting away from the earlier subject, warmed to this sudden show of his old Maxie, put up his hands defensively. "Whoa! I'm just saying." He was glad to see Max grin, if only slightly and her arms dropped away down to her sides.

"No, you're right," she nodded. "That would be crass. That's why I was saving it. It's too big for Angie at this point. And what I really wanted to do was, well, I was sort of hoping that Joshua would paint her portrait in it." Alec nodded along with her. "For Gem, you know? Maybe for Christmas."

"That's actually... a really nice idea," Alec admitted. But he could see a few problems with this. He pulled out a rickety kitchen chair and carefully dropped down into it. Max, apparently just as happy to move onto a different topic, followed suit, pulling out the chair opposite his, the only other one she had, actually.

"Yeah, but given the givens," she sighed, resting her elbows on the table and her cheek into one hand, her other finger tapped distractedly at the Formica table top. "And I don't know anyone else around here that does portraits." Alec chewed at the corner of his mouth for a moment. He could have alleviated her concern, but for the promise he'd given Joshua earlier.

"What about just a picture?" he suggested. They knew a couple people, namely Sketchy that were into photography. Or they could scare up the supplies themselves somehow.

"Yeah, I suppose," Max allowed, and then shrugged. "I just hoped..." She didn't have to give voice to them, since Alec was finally thinking along the same lines as she. But then she brightened a little, perking up some and her finger stopped tapping. "I mean, everywhere you go, you always see it. Mom's always have those typical pictures of their kids."

"And Gem's a typical mom?" Alec teased, pleased when she took a small swipe at his arm, also resting on the table.

"Idiot," she smiled and it felt just like old times. "No, I mean, I just wanted her to have something tangible, you know? Something normal that says she's got this kid, that-!"

"You mean aside from the oh so obvious baby that hangs off her neck twenty odd hours of the day?" Alec broke in and was pleased to see and hear Max's laugh.

"No!" she laughingly protested. "What I meant was, proof, _other_ than Angie, that she deserves these little things, these normal things, just as much as the next ordinary." She half shrugged. "Know what I mean?" Alec nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I get it," he agreed. He leaned forward in his chair, growing thoughtful once more. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I think that you should tell Josh this plan of yours. Tell! Not ask!" he warned, holding up his hand when she would have protested. "I mean, if you just tell him what you were thinking about, then it's in his mind. And if he's not ready, or unable, then you've still got some time. I mean, you said yourself that the dress is too big for Angie right now, right? So if Josh doesn't, you can either find someone else, or have time to figure out a picture."

Max sat a moment, watching him and Alec waited. Finally she grinned and nodded slowly. "That's a good idea. Thanks Alec."

"No problem," he smirked.

"All right, that's settled then," Max sighed and reached for the pad of paper still waiting on the table. "Ready for some brainstorming?"

"Weren't we just?" he teased once again and though her half-hearted snarky quips were absorbed by him, Alec was more than a little pleased with himself. He'd managed to help Max with this dilemma, find a good subject for Joshua, since he was sure the big guy would readily accept Max's offer and yet keep Josh's secret all the same. And to boot, maybe he could add his name to the card for Gem and Angie at Christmas time.

If they made it that long.


	12. Brain Storm

The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Rating: PG-15

Pairing: M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

Spoilers/ Time line: Sequel to Dream Within.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first, please.

Chapter Twelve

Brain Storm

"All right then," Alec grunted, pushing the baby dress that seemed to be taking up the predominant amount of the table out of the way. It also unearthed the notepad that Max had claimed she needed and as soon as she saw it, she snatched it up. "Ready to do this?" he asked with mild amusement. He was amazed that he was seeing so many facets of her tonight. She'd been playful, unintentionally (or not, he still wasn't sure what to make of some moments) sexy, upset, honest, secretive and now, if her chewing on her lower lip was any indication, nervous.

Max held the notepad before her, the plain cardboard backing facing Alec for the moment while she regarded him. The hesitation was clearly marked in her eyes. And as usual, Alec felt himself responding to it. So he forced himself to wait for her to broach the topic that she had barely alluded to aside from asking for his help. The silence stretched out for only a few minutes while Alec allowed Max to collect herself, to see that he wasn't going to be doing any of the asinine things or quips he had ready to hand, or mouth, depending on the occasion. At least not yet he wouldn't.

"Okay," Max finally sighed and let the notepad drop a few inches, though Alec still didn't know what was written on it. He hadn't even bothered to glance at it earlier, in favor of the other puzzle presented to him. "This is... something that I've been thinking a lot about lately. And I know for some of us, it might be kind of out there, you know?"

Alec didn't, since she hadn't told him yet. But he nodded along anyway. It was obvious now that she was talking in a more general populace sort of sense and it made sense to him, since Terminal City and it's latest denizens where what Max seemed to be all about lately. Either in singular or plural form. "Go ahead," he encouraged softly.

"Okay," Max repeated and let the pad of paper drop once more to the table. Alec's eyes followed it, but couldn't discern much of the handwriting upside down and backward, since she seemed to have been rushing when she wrote it, making her handwriting sloppy. "Remember when we talked about Rory?"

"About him cutting my hair?" Alec frowned as he easily recalled the conversation. What else had they discussed that would require this magnitude of meeting? But Max was smiling and nodding. Okay, so this centered on Rory then? He wasn't surprised when a small surge of jealousy for the other transgenic reared it's head. Alec was able to quickly tamp it down, ordering himself to listen to what Max was going to say instead of jumping to conclusions. He'd already had enough of that from just minutes ago. Thinking that Max was pregnant, by another man of course, was painful enough. And then thinking she had lost that imagined baby... Alec so didn't need to go there.

"Well, the thing is, there should be more of us,"

"More what?" Alec shook his head, unable at this point to continue following along. "What? Getting our hair cut?" Thankfully that only got a small smirk settling about her lips instead of a comment about his mental ineptitude.

"No," Max protested with a small shrug of one shoulder. "I meant more people, well, working on other things."

"What other things?" Alec chuckled. "Are we keeping you from some heretofore unknown weekly nail appointment?"

"No Alec," she sighed, folding her arms across her stomach and crossing them. "More of us doing things that aren't directly related to security, or protection, or maintenance. Or well, I mean some of the could if they really wanted to."

"So," Alec frowned as he tried to follow her line of thought. "You want to reduce the number of people working on these things? And have them doing what instead?" Was she coming up with another big plan, like she seemed to be producing in a number to rival the ever present raindrops over the city of Seattle.

"No, not exactly," Max shook her head. "I know, that stuff is too important to abandon. At this point."

"This point?" Alec repeated, feeling a little bit better about thinking that this was something for down the line. He knew that Max had had the basic training that they had all received, but the lessons that Manticore had imparted had grown in scope and responsibility and truthfully there were better transgenics suited to running a small city, such as TC was evolving into.

"Yeah," Max confirmed. "See, the thing is Alec, what are we going to do after this siege is over?"

That startled him for a moment. He knew that long term planning wasn't exactly his forte, but when he thought about it, he'd pretty much seen himself going back to life as it had been before. Hanging with friends, making enough money to survive, maybe a little more and basically doing what the rest of the countries population was doing. Survive the world.

But he knew too, the reality of the situation. They were in a siege. The majority of the known world was against them. They had a highly trained militaristic slash metaphysically based group of super humans gunning for them, amongst the police, military and rabble of the ordinaries to contend with. Once he had put his hand in the air, to support Max's dream of staying put, digging in and fighting back, rather than running and hiding again, he had known that life would never be the same as he had known it to be after he had escaped Manticore. But Max had been right about that. He had known it from the moment he had seen the building that he had called home, burning bright in the night, that he was not meant to be contained the rest of his life by those walls. And he knew that hiding then or now just was not the answer. The truth always seemed to have a will of coming out in some manner and when it came down to is, Alec would rather be in control, than at it's mercy.

"I don't know about you," he sighed, leaning one cheek on his fist, while his elbow rested on the table, "but I was planning on getting plastered, if possible and after that, who the hell knows?" His earlier thought was jumping up and biting hard in the ass now. If they survived. If they made it that long. If Max's scheming and planning and work paid off in the long run.

"Exactly," Max nodded, as if Alec had just imparted some huge wisdom. He quirked an eyebrow at her, silently asking for an explanation and true to form, she did not disappoint. "You have no clue what you would be interested in doing. In the long run, I mean. Do you?"

"Well, as much as Normal loves me," he chuckled, "I didn't really see myself going back to slinging packages. Did you?" He knew that she had loved, not so much the job, but the friends that she had, the freedom that the sector pass had given her and just generally being able to dictate her own life. He had that in common with her.

"Not really, no," Max grinned. "But the thing is, whenever I thought about what it is I would do in my life, it either boiled down to what Manticore taught me to do, like all the heists and jobs to make some flash cash, or performing minimum wage, if I was lucky, crappy little jobs, because there was nothing else I knew."

"Yeah," Alec agreed. "I know what my specialty was, but um," he hesitated to ask, since they seemed to have finally arrived at a truce that he was hesitant to disrupt, but the curiosity was eating at him.

"Telecommunications," Max answered promptly, and then her eyes grew distant. "At least I think that's what they had in mind for me." She sighed and then chuckled ruefully. "Kind of hard to say since we were so young. But that was where I excelled."

Alec nodded, more to fill the quiet space than because he was agreeing. "So," he finally asked as his fingers drew patterns over the rough surface of the kitchen table, "how does this all tie together?"

"Well, when I asked what are we going to do," Max explained, her face lighting up happily again, "I meant more as a community, than just us two specifically."

"Well I don't know," Alec smirked back, glad that the awkward moment was once more behind them, "but I'm pretty sure that there wouldn't be a lot of naysayers for some good old fashioned fun."

"Did you just use naysayers?" Max giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I have a big vocabulary," Alec pouted at her, though he was anything but whiny about her good mood. As confusing as it was to deal with, maybe it was better in the long run for them, this huge personality transplant that Max had gone through. "So," he sighed, pursing his lips as he mused his way through the idea that Max was planting in his head. Suddenly a few things clicked and he snapped his fingers before pointing at her. "You called Gem!"

"When?" Max's eyebrows drew together and Alec savored just a moment of finally being one step ahead of her again.

"The other day, when you woke up and asked her if the donuts were ready," he reminded her gleefully. Max rolled her eyes, avoiding his look and he could see that she was fighting a blush.

"I had just woken up," she protested. "I was a little... confused."

"And that dream you had," he continued to press, sure that he was on the right track now. "That's where all this is coming from, isn't it? The world according to Max."

"No, it's not," Max denied immediately, still slightly flushed, but then she grimaced, marring the sweet look, at least in Alec's eyes. "Or maybe it is. Not according to me, but well, that's why I wanted to do this."

"And what precisely is this?" Alec demanded. At that point, Max started playing with her notepad again.

"Well, we talked about how Rory was cutting people's hair," Max reiterated and Alec was the one rolling his eyes now. They were back on that topic. "And Joshua picked up those paints and shows a real knack for it. Dix is excellent with our computers and well, there are some people around here that have naturally gravitated to the things that they're good at."

"Simple nature," Alec agreed with a one shouldered shrug. "Why is that a problem?"

"It's not a problem per se," Max hesitated. "It's just that for everyone else, it's like we're filling in the blanks, because somebody has to do it."

"Way of the world Max," Alec bit out. What the hell else was she going to change on them now.

"Right," Max sighed, seeming frustrated and while Alec might feel a little bad at that, he was also petty enough to be glad that he wasn't the only one. "But what happens when we don't need that anymore. When we don't need a full compliment of soldiers patrolling the streets. Or three or four teams of maintenance repair crews. Or when we don't need groups of transgenics ready to go at a moments' notice for a heist."

"You're kidding yourself if you think those things are ever going to go away," Alec warned softly, not wanting to bring her back down to earth so harshly, but it was the truth and that always seemed the best way to go these days with her.

"Not go away completely, but not necessary in the amounts that we have them now," Max argued. "Or did you think that we should live like this for the rest of our lives? Eking out a little bit of electricity here and there, catching most of our potable water from the rain storms. Using cast offs and second hand crap to shore up our lives. Yes, we can do that when it's needed, but we shouldn't plan for it to be like that and nothing else."

"So you want to move beyond living in another military controlled city and actually what, make something of ourselves?" Alec scoffed and then groaned when Max's face lit up.

"That's it exactly," she nodded happily. "I'm not worried about what people want to do with themselves, just as long as they realize that they can do something more with themselves."

"I'm pretty sure that everyone knows that Max," Alec protested with a long suffering sigh.

"I don't know that they do," Max argued back, though her tone was far from accusatory. She seemed almost amused. "Not on the scale that I'm thinking here. Or maybe that they just haven't applied it to themselves yet. I mean, there were times in my life that I had an idle thought that some career had interest, or potential, or I..."

"You what?" Alec asked, leaning forward, slightly intrigued and was not too surprised when Max ducked her head.

"When I was a teenager, I used to pull a bunch of art heists for a gang, down in LA," she explained, just the merest hint of blush creeping into her cheeks. "I got to the point, where I could tell forgeries from the real deal in just minutes, sometimes at a glance."

"And that means what?" Alec prompted when she fell silent. It wasn't so unusual, for transgenics at least. "Aside from being quick on the job?" he teased, trying to encourage her to share. This was something he didn't mind, actually found extremely interesting and not in a way that made him feel off kilter. It was normal and natural to learn little tidbits about other people and their lives. It was just better that she was telling him, because it helped him to understand her mindset that had gone into creating the person she was today.

Max shrugged helplessly and then chuckled, a low embarrassed sound. "Fine, so I thought, every once in a while, that maybe it was something I could go legit on."

Alec pursed his lips as he mused on that for just a moment. "And how would that have been a problem?"

"The problem," Max drawled, when it was apparent that he wasn't going to tease about it, "was that I quickly realized that I wasn't fascinated by the art. Just the goodies that fencing it brought. The protection being Moody's personal art thief brought."

"The protection?" Alec asked quickly. He'd admittedly, never given too deep of thought to what Max's life had been post Manticore, pre, well, him, aside from what he had seen of her life in Seattle. And he had known that she hadn't arrived in town until she was a lot older. But he had seen enough on his own of what a kid, even a genetically enhanced one had to deal with, especially when they were on their own. Max apparently realized as well that Alec's mind was wandering from whatever direction she wanted it going in and waved her hand dismissively of it.

"The thing is Alec," she smiled, genuinely this time, "is that we never know what we could like or what we could be capable of, in a broader scope, if we don't get a chance to explore it. What examples did you guys have in Manticore? Scientists and soldiers?" She answered before he could.

"There was also the mission prep," he offered, awkwardly, flashes of just those moments in Manticore rearing their ugly head. He certainly didn't want to think on it too awful hard and was surprised when, after a quick squeeze of his hand from Max, across the table, she waited respectfully for him to move on at his own pace.

"But that was forced on everyone, wasn't it?" she asked gently. "I mean, not forced forced, but required, to do the job you were sent to do. It didn't matter to them if you were naturally inclined and were interested. Those things were just a means to an end for them."

"They were," he had to agree. Manticore had certainly not come to his cell and asked if he'd like to learn how to play the piano, or learn to repair telephones or any of the languages he'd needed to seam blendlessly into a foreign land. Although they were handy skills to have, Alec just couldn't see himself making a career he would enjoy out of them. And it was then that it hit, that he was totally entertaining a seed of a notion that she'd been trying to plant for the past quarter hour. He grinned up at her and was happy to see relief dawn in her eyes.

"So?" she asked softly, before her teeth started to worry at her lower lip.

"So basically, you want everyone to start thinking about what they might like to actually do with their lives, aside from the necessary jobs around our fair city, in hopes that they might actually have a chance to explore it if we live through this mess we've created?" he offered and the fidget stopped as she flashed another smile at him.

"Pretty much," she nodded. Alec grimaced as several thoughts occurred to him.

"Okay," he spoke slowly. "So what if no one ends up being interested in city maintenance, or security?" he pointed out. And rather than looking defeated, she seemed eager, leaning forward in her seat.

"Like you said, those are necessary things and we all realize that," she offered. "And while picking out fakes from the real deal might interest me, it's just a hobby. Everybody has them, you know. And not all of them translate into a career in a lot of cases. I mean, Joshua could. He certainly did. But like Rory?"

That guy again. A smart ass quip rose to his lips immediately, but he tamped it back down, because the last thing he wanted right now was to get into a snark fest with her, or worse, have her call him on his jealousy and have to make up a bunch of flimsy excuses that he was pretty sure this much more canny Max would see right through.

"Cutting hair might just be a hobby to him to pass the time," she pointed out. "Or maybe he would like it enough to make it his career. We'd probably have to ask him. I mean, Logan and I used to play chess occasionally."

Alec grit his teeth as one guy went down just to have another thrown up in his face. And this one, he couldn't walk away from as easily. "And was that amid all the wine and pasta dinners?" he strove for a lightly teasing tone and was relieved when Max rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, we tried that twice," she scoffed. "Man couldn't handle me kicking his ass every single game, so he quit inviting me to play after a while."

Alec fought his grin, but couldn't help it. "Yeah, most guys don't like it when someone continually shows them up at something they consider themselves an expert at."

"Logan was no expert," Max snorted daintily. "His opening gambits were strong, but his ploys were sloppy and he had no staying power to see it through to the end."

Alec bit his tongue, hard, the urge to point out how that seemed to translate to real life, nearly clawing at his brain. But the urge passed as Max went on, thankfully.

"And chess wasn't his only hobby," Max shrugged. "He collected art, though he had to sell it later to afford things. He had Eyes Only, of course, which was more a mission than a hobby." There was no argument from Alec there. "And it's not like we were so different," she suddenly chuckled. Alec appreciated how into this topic she was getting even though thoughts of another man or men, as it were, interfered, at least she was laughing, rather than crying over them.

"What do you mean?" he wondered.

"I know you played Sketch a lot," she pointed out. "With the pool and all, but I know for a fact that not every single game you played was for scamming cash outta some unlucky."

Alec shrugged at that. "So? It was relaxing."

"Exactly," Max crowed triumphantly, stabbing her finger in the air in his direction. "That's a hobby. That you could make money from it was a bonus."

"All right," he chuckled as well. "I'll give you that. But I'm confused now. Are you trying to find everyone careers or hobbies?"

"Uh maybe both," Max shrugged, though her eyes were sparkling a little at that idea. And after a moment, she seemed to come out of a paralyzed shock as she realized something, grabbed up her pen, turned to a new page on the sheet of her scratch pad and started scribbling.

"Oh lord, what now?" Alec asked teasingly. She held up her left hand as her head remained bowed over the paper and when she was done, the pen returned to the table, Alec arched an inquiring eyebrow at her.

"Topic for another discussion," she warned him easily and he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I think you get where I am with this stuff, right?"

"I get it," Alec agreed. "I'm just not sure where you want to go with it."

"That's just it," she sighed. "I know what I want to do, I'm just not sure how to go about accomplishing it. I mean, it's not like I can go out and start surveying each and every one of us to start figuring out what jobs or hobbies they want to look into." Her shoulders slumped slightly. "And even if we got that far, it's not like we could send a ton of people to school to learn this stuff. I mean, not everything is something you could just pick up and do, right?"

"Well no," Alec agreed, leaning forward a little as well. She looked so disappointed that he couldn't help but try and make it a little better for her. "But as for the survey, don't the ordinaries have those aptitude test things that they gave to their kids. In school, I mean?" He was surprised when her head snapped up.

"Of course," she exclaimed and Alec was absurdly pleased that he'd managed to bring the sparkle back. "That's genius," and then she was laughing. Alec waited, but she didn't share, finally just calming herself and waving off his unspoken question. "Old joke," she smiled and Alec was surprised to see that it was so broad that he could almost see a hint of dimpling in her cheeks. "But I think you've got a good idea. It's something that we can work with. But how would we get people to do it? We can't just tell everyone we want them to sit down and pick a career. I mean, no offense, but your... attitude is the prevalent one around here."

"You mean thinking that all this might boil down to nothing when one of the many factions moves in and we're outnumbered, gun downed or forcibly removed back to the cages you freed us from?" Alec asked perkily, trying to offset the severity of the words. It didn't work as well as he had hoped as her shoulders slumped again.

"Yeah, that one."

"I don't know Max," he offered softly. "I don't know if you've noticed," he told her carefully, a small smile playing at his lips, "but everyone's really following your lead. Maybe they're letting you carry their hopes and dreams because then if it doesn't happen, then they don't have to deal with the disappointment."

Max's eyes moistened noticeably and Alec reached across the table, nudging her hand, seeking to give her some relief, some support and she allowed it, letting him squeeze her fingers for a moment. "Maybe," she agreed. Alec waited patiently for her to work through that, his mind racing to bolster her spirits again.

"You know," he mused, scooting his chair a little closer to the table, so his arm wasn't having to cross that large a span. Just in case she needed some more hand holding, support only of course. "I had a mission at a college once. Checking out a doctor teaching there that Manticore suspected was one of their defectors under an alias."

"Uh huh?" Max murmured and Alec could see that she was interested, not reacting derisively to the notion.

"Well," he swallowed, remembering how that mission had played out, "they used to hand out those surveys in some of the classes. Everybody was used to them. And it wasn't just those career ones, but they had some that were tailored specifically for different classes. And some of those kids actually had fun filling them out and getting the results. And the chicks? Man, they always had these magazines."

"Of course," Max parroted her earlier remark. "We could do it all in fun!" She shook her head a little. "I'm surprised I didn't think of that. My old roommate Kendra used to fill those out with me. I didn't even think of those things."

"Oh, like what kind of surveys?" Alec was intrigued, remembering some of the questionnaires he'd overheard some younger girls giggling over. Something about the type of lover you were. And judging from Max's sudden blush, maybe that wasn't too far from the mark. He grinned at her and instead of blushing further or snarking at him, she just leered right back.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased and then laughed. "Okay, well that gives us an idea there. But what about actually getting it done?" She paused for a moment. "Books."

"Are great for reading?" Alec prompted. Max nodded.

"School," she supplied and Alec frowned. Leaps of logic and then he got it.

"So we might not have instructors, but we can get our hands on books, instructions," he nodded. "That's not so bad."

Finally feeling that the conversation was moving in the right direction, they got busy, writing down some ideas about what they could do. And after half an hour, they leaned back in their chairs, feeling at least a little accomplished. And Alec had to admit, he might take one of these aptitude things himself. It would be interesting to see...

"So Max," he began and waited until she looked up at him. "This dream of yours? What was I?"

"Uh... you were you," she answered, looking a little puzzled.

"No, no, no," he protested, waving his hand at that. "I mean, what was I doing?"

"Mmm, this and that," she hedged and Alec groaned. She had to give him something here. Unless, he just didn't... figure in her dream.

"Oh come on," he groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "Don't tell me I was some washed up cage fighter, hanging down at the local bar boring everyone around me with tall tales about my glory days?" As expected she started laughing.

"Oh no," she giggled. "Yes, glory days, but no, you weren't some washed up bar fly."

"Oh thank you," he sighed out, exaggeratedly. "So come on? Spill!"

"Nuh uh!" she protested. "Seriously Alec, I'm not gonna tell you."

"What?" he whined, he knew he was whining, but it was worth it when she scrunched her face up adorably like that. "Please? Why not?"

"Because what if I told you you were a slick, smooth talking politician who only had time for us when the campaign trail swung by every six months?" she demanded and Alec's eyes went wide.

"I was running for president?" he exclaimed. "Seriously?"

"No!" she laughed again, throwing her head back and Alec laughed as well.

"Okay, Senator," he continued to tease. "I can live with that."

"You weren't a..." and then she stopped, fuming for just a second, and then leaned forward, gesturing him in. Alec, intrigued, leaned forward as well. "Alec, if it had no bearing on anything, I'd tell you. But this is your life, and I really believe that you need to figure out what it is you want to do. I don't want to tell you what my mind came up with and have it be something that you end up not wanting to live with. I have faith in you Alec, that you'll find something you love doing and be great at it."

The sincerity that rang through her voice, the seriousness of the moment clogged up his throat, forcing him to breathe heavily through his nose. He had to swallow several times and then nodded. He glanced down at the table, taking a moment, but he realized that he needed something. And now, when she was being as honest as she could with him, he needed just a little...

"Max?" he asked softly and she waited, looking slightly apprehensive. "I promise, I won't push about that. But... if I asked something else, would you be honest with me?"

'If I can," she hedged softly and then waited. Alec took another deep breath, as unobtrusively as he could, steeling himself.

"In your dream," he began and he could see her instantly tense up, but he couldn't stop himself. "Were we... still friends?" He watched as her face softened, looking... sad.

"No Alec, we weren't friends," she spoke so softly, breaking a little something in him. It wasn't until she spoke again, stronger, that he realized that it was her power to fix him as well. "We were best friends."

The way she said it, the way it sounded to him and he hoped to hell that he wasn't imagining it, that she liked it. Best friends. Wanted that from him. In the future, they had gone from whatever it was they were, to best friends. To a closeness Alec could only dream of. But maybe, while her dream had ended, didn't mean that was the end of the life she was trying to achieve. And if she was looking for that dream, then maybe Alec could hope that there was room in that dream for him. Her best friend. Question was, could he live with that? And figuring that if Max wanted more from him, then maybe it would one day be okay to want more from her too. And Alec felt a grin growing again as her hand came to rest comfortingly on his.

"Cool," he decided.


	13. Crosswork

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Rating: PG-15

Pairing: M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

Spoilers/ Time line: Sequel to Dream Within.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first, please.

Chapter Thirteen

Crosswork

"Hey Alec!"

Alec, just exiting the apartment complex, frowning because for the first time in a while, Max was up and gone before he was, glanced up to see who was calling for his attention. It was Gem, on her own, jogging slightly to catch up with him. "Hey Gem," he greeted as he slowed slightly. He didn't want to just blow her off, especially as nice as she'd been the evening before. But he was wondering where on earth Max had gotten to.

"How were the dinners?" she asked with a grin as she fell in by his side.

"Excellent," he answered honestly. "Though really, you didn't have to go to that trouble. You know you should be keeping those MRE's for yourself," he admonished, though he kept the smile on his face to gentle the harshness. Gem just shook her head.

"Not to worry," she shrugged. "Doc got his hands a bottle of vitamin supplements that were still good. Portioned them out to us moms."

"Huh," Alec grunted. "Must have missed that."

"Ah, it's all good," Gem grinned. "Just the one bottle though, so I will be guarding the rest of those packets with my life."

"All right," Alec nodded, noticing that Gem was taking long strides and was able to match his pace to hers. Not as fast as he preferred but still not the ambling walk of friends taking a stroll.

"And how were the tartlets?" she pressed.

"Really good actually," Alec chuckled. "We threw in Max's candies with them. Was really sweet."

"Yeah, that's what Max said," Gem nodded. Alec watched her for a moment and when she returned the look, she must have seen the question in his face. "I just saw her, at Joshua's."

"Oh, okay," Alec nodded, relieved in a minor way to know where she was at.

"I have to head over to command to check next week's schedule," she explained easily. "So I dropped Angie off a little early. Max asked me to let everyone know she'd be a few minutes. Said she had to talk to Josh about something."

"So Joshua's babysitting? Not going to make the meeting?" Alec frowned. But Gem was shaking her head.

"No, Zen and Shrink have her this morning," Gem supplied. "Max actually suggested we get some of the babies together for play dates."

"Uh," Alec grinned. "Isn't Angie a little young to be dating?" The teasing came quickly and naturally and Gem returned his smile, giving his side a small shove.

"You know what I mean," she chided. "And please, if I was going to arrange a date for my daughter, it wouldn't be with the son of a flirt as big as Shrink."

"Why?" Alec tried to sound affronted but was failing at it. "Does the apple not fall far from the tree?"

"Uh, have you seen their kid?" Gem grunted and Alec had to shake his head. He hadn't really been into meeting and greeting, shaking hands and kissing babies, which, from what Max had said the evening before, had been a good thing. "He's all big eyes and super long eyelashes and this adorable little pout... oh crap!"

"Huh?" Alec missed her sudden turn as she slapped one hand gently to her forehead. "What?"

"Just like you," she elucidated teasingly. "God, do us a favor Alec. See if you can get Doc to arrange, if heaven forbid you ever bamboozle a female into procreating with you, to only have daughters!"

"Hey, sort not in my control, and I doubt we got the equipment in medical that's advanced enough," he grunted. Kids? Not anywhere on his radar and probably wouldn't be for years, if ever.

"I know," Gem laughed, "but seriously you and a kid tag teaming the feminine population. There'd be devastated hearts everywhere."

"Well, as fun a plan as that sounds," Alec sighed heavily, as if it truly were a burden, he gestured to the door of command, "I've got meetings to go to first."

"All right," Gem nodded as he pulled the door open for them. They parted ways almost immediately inside. "Catch you later."

"Later," he replied. He watched for a moment as Gem headed to the postings in the main hall while he would head straight to command. Of course, it was just his luck that her not so much co-conspirator of the evening before was coming from that way and after the pair exchanged disgusted grunts at one another, Grift caught sight of Alec.

"Hey man," he lit up and Alec, deliberating over saying hi or just throwing the guy a wave and moving on, took too long and Grift had caught up with him. "How was the date?"

Alec sighed and rolled his eyes. "Again man, not a date. And our discussion, about work, went well, thanks."

"Sure, sure," Grift grinned. "I have to get over to the con site. But hey, I'm on mess again next week. So anything special you want to request. You know, if you and Max have to have a 'working dinner' again?"

"Screw off," Alec groaned, shoving at the other man's shoulder.

Grift continued to chuckle the whole way out and Alec, shaking his head, wondering how much teasing he would be enduring until he and Max could come up with enough to get started on her latest pet project and let the truth be known.

As it was, a lot .Since it seemed that everyone in command knew they'd been dining together, getting suspicions and innuendo from those that had eaten at mess, thank you very much loud mouths Grift and Gem, he was so renaming them Tweedledum and Tweedle Dumber at the first chance. And of course, for those that had foregone mess, well, their buddies around the office were oh so happy to fill them in on the details they did have and their gossip about what they didn't.

Alec, his mood from the evening before, completely soured, pounded up the steps to get to the meeting. But, from everyone's expectant faces when he walked in, he knew that it had yet to hit the fan. Pausing in the doorway, to take a deep breath, steeling himself, wondering if it were better to get this all out of the way before Max showed up and got pissy. Or maybe she wouldn't, he wasn't sure with how this would figure into her new take on life.

"All right," he grumbled, pushing himself into the room. "Before you even get started, it was dinner, not a 'date', we were talking business."

"Uh huh," came Mole's knowing drawl. "We're all pretty familiar with your brand of business pretty boy."

"Even if we don't get the chance to play as often as I hear Alec does," Callie giggled and Alec threw her a hard glare. What the hell rumors was she listening to?

"Yeah, well, he's this grumpy," Doc grinned, leaning back in his seat, "then he was... denied!"

"Yeah well, this is Miss tightly wound we're talking about," Mole guffawed, mimicking Doc's pose, pushing his chair up on it's back legs.

"God damn it!" Alec hissed. "Shut up! For the last time. It was not a date!"

"What wasn't a date?" came Max's voice from right behind him and Alec wanted very suddenly, for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. He felt her hand at the small of his back, nudging at him. He settled a quick glare at the room at large and then slowly stepped aside and Max slipped in, brushing against his side. He felt Joshua behind him as well and stepped fully out of the way, knowing the larger male couldn't squeeze through the room he afforded.

Max looked happy, a grin on her face, notebook and pen in one hand, coffee mug in the other. Alec wondered if maybe that had something to do with things. She'd gotten a caffeine fix this morning and he hadn't. As she took her seat at the head of the table, she glanced up at Alec. "Were they possibly referring to last night?"

Alec was startled when he wasn't the only one that froze.

"Cause that so wasn't a date," Max chuckled. "That was an appointment. There is a difference. Besides, if I ever did consent to allow Alec the honor of taking me on a date, you all would so know it," she grinned at the rest of them, while Alec gaped at her. Did she... had she just seriously entertained the thought of Alec taking her out? Suddenly, he stumbled out of his frozen state, moving to take a seat, because he certainly wanted to discuss this further. The audience wasn't exactly appreciated, but his traitorous mind and body could care less at the moment.

"And how precisely would we know?" Callie asked, humor lining her face.

"It'd be kind of hard to hide me trailing after him everywhere," Max began, a glint in her eyes and Alec felt his body tightening slightly when she threw a wink at him, "haranguing him about making sure the date wasn't someplace cheesy, or foisting me off with a night at Crash. Making sure he had date appropriate clothing and that he wasn't doing it on a dare, 'cause he so would!"

"You got that right," Mole guffawed again.

"Hey," Alec mumbled protestingly. "Dates at Crash are fun. Booze, music, pool, conversation. S'not cheesy!"

"So is that what we were doing all those months?" Max asked gleefully, though she was trying to look thoughtful. She looked way too amused to pull that off.

"No," Alec protested. "We were with friends."

"Group hang time," Max nodded. And then she glanced around. "Uh oh," she muttered and every eye in the room turned back to her. She looked a little sheepish. "I think I besmirched your rep, lover boy," she addressed herself to Alec. "Sorry," she added perkily. "But hey, the next lucky girl you ask out will really be treated to a nice evening, huh? Just to prove to these yahoos that you got the stuff, right?"

"Uh yeah," Alec grunted. He was still sort of stuck on the date... with Max, idea. And while he enjoyed an evening at Crash with a girl, or many girls, he knew too that he could do much better than that. Damn Max had thrown out a challenge and the problem was, he knew he didn't have anything to prove. But he wanted to. Not for the rest of them, but to her. His mind wandered slightly as Max called the meeting to order and the others settled in easily while she passed the notepad around. Alec did note that it was essentially blank this day, with just a few words, _meeting_ at the top, underlined and _updates?_ Underneath it. As he passed it along to Josh, he wondered, what exactly would Max like to do on a date? Probably a nice dinner. Maybe some dancing. Not the kind like at Crash, techno and thrumming, but something softer, that a couple could sway to, holding each other close. But it couldn't end there. No, there'd have to be a capper and, then Alec smirked. Make out point, he realized. Somewhere quiet and private, but not home, to ostensibly watch some pretty scenery, the mood romantic. Yeah, knowing Max, she'd drag a guy off to the Space Needle and instead of getting some, she'd start nattering at him about philosophy.

"Alec?" Joshua was nudging him and Alec came out of his little daydream to see that everyone was staring at him.

"Uh," he hesitated and then heard the ringing.

"You gonna get that?" Doc asked, gesturing at him. Alec glanced down and realized then that it was his cell phone ringing.

"Sorry, yeah," he mumbled, ducking his head down as he reached for it. Avoiding everyone's gaze as he fought a blush, he answered. "Hello?"

"Hey man, took you long enough," Sketch's familiar voice came over the line. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Yeah, you did," Alec grinned, "but it's not a problem. What'd you need?"

"Ah, I was calling to talk to Max," Sketchy explained and Alec's brow furrowed, wondering what Sketch was wanting and why he would call... "I wasn't sure what line to call, but I figured you would probably have an idea where she was." Well that explained hat.

"Actually she's right here," Alec informed him, glancing up at the woman in question and Max gave him a small smile. He dropped the phone a little and told her, "it's Sketch, calling for you."

"Oh, excellent," she enthused and scooted her chair back. She stood and moved around to take the phone. "Could you take over for me?" she asked sweetly as he handed the phone off to her. "I shouldn't be too long."

"That's fine," he smiled tightly up at her even as Joshua was sliding the pad of paper back to him. They all watched as Max greeted her old friend, heading out the door and presumably to her office for some privacy. "Okay," Alec straightened the paper before him and noted that it was still empty of anything aside from what she'd written. "So, updates people?"

The meeting had gone swiftly, Alec jotting down the comments from each section of the committee so that Max could glance over it later. As he dismissed the others, Mole stood and paused, reminding him that he and Max and Alec still needed to get together about discussing the recon missions. Alec had nodded and said that he would remind Max. That had apparently been good enough for Mole and he had made his exit as well. Flipping through the notebook, Alec noted that Max seemed to have been taking notes on everything and he wondered again, what was going on with her, besides the few things that she had shared with him. It all always seemed to be coming back to this dream of hers. Which wasn't a bad thing, really, but he just wished that he was more in the know. He might have survived Manticore by playing along and playing dumb for the most part, but that wasn't who he really was. And by Max's declaration, he shouldn't ever have to live like that.

Scooping up the notepad, Alec wondered what was taking her so long. Granted, the meeting was fast, but what on earth did she and Sketchy have to talk about other than his visit, which Alec was still iffy on? He moved down to Max's office, finding the door shut. The murmur of her voice alone and the pause and flow, let him know that she was still on the phone. So he rapped a couple times on the door with his knuckles and waited. She called for him to come in and Alec opened the door to lean in just a little.

Max was leaning back in her chair, her feet propped up on her desk and Alec shook his head a little. That wasn't how she usually sat. But since she was laughing at something Sketchy was saying, if it was still him, it seemed to fit. Of course, she could have taken advantage of having Alec's phone and made a few calls or something. He waited, but Max waved him in and he responded by moving all the way into the room and pushing the door shut behind him, gently.

"Yeah, I know," Max was saying into the phone. She glanced up at Alec and pointed at the notepad in his hands. She gestured for him to come forward and he did so, handing the pad over the desk to her. But instead of multitasking as she normally would have, she simply dropped it to the desk top. "Well you guys routed Normal easily enough and dealt with that Sivapathasunderam dealio all on your own."

Alec frowned. Siva patha what?

"And that was pretty on the fly, right?" Max kept on as Alec perched himself at the edge of her desk. The excuse that he was waiting for his phone back and to go over the notes, ready at his lips. "Well just imagine what you could do, with days if not weeks to prep."

She paused in her conversation again and listened to what the other person was saying. He suspected it was still Sketchy, or perhaps Cindy, what with her mention of Normal. And from the lower treble voice he could hear from where he was at, had to guess it was still Sketch.

"Hey, don't worry about it too much,' Max sighed. "You know we'll help as much as we can. But you've got good people too, you know." Then she chuckled again. "Yeah, well remember when Herbal went postal on Wins tons ass?" Alec smirked a little as a giggle escaped her lips. "I'm just saying that you guys are pretty inventive with the plans, but when it gets down to it, the simplest things are usually the best. If you're not sure then call us again and we'll walk it through, 'kay?"

It sounded like it was about the end of the conversation and Alec started to fidget a little. Max glanced up at him and smiled tightly and held one finger up to her lips. Alec frowned at her and she rolled her eyes. He hid his smile at that familiar predictability.

"Yeah, that's the one," Max agreed. "I'm pretty sure she'll have no problem talking to you. In fact, can I make a suggestion?"

Alec tilted his head a little to the side, pondering Max's behavior. Never before had he seen her this... gentle with Sketch. She usually was riding his ass about something, smacking him down verbally, or ignoring his childish antics. He wondered what had changed. Maybe he'd have to ask, because he sure as hell wasn't having much luck figuring it out. She must have gotten the go ahead, because she nodded once to herself.

"Okay," she inhaled deeply. "I think a good way to come at this is real slow. We've got a little time, so we can make it all count. Establishing a connection with her just to start things off. Then maybe come back to a point you want to clarify, or something like that, for a second round. Little tidbits here and there. And don't just focus on the one thing. Find out what makes her tick. Create a rapport before you go for it. Just my suggestion, okay?" Alec smiled at how serious and, well, how earnest she looked, trying not to bring any offense in her conversation. But then her eyes lit up and she started laughing merrily and Alec felt the smile tugging at his lips as her mirth transmuted around the room.

"Yeah," she shook her head and sighed. "I guess that would be pretty good dating advice. But Sketch, I think Rita's a little out of your range. And by that I mean, age? Plus, I don't know," she dropped the phone and glanced up at Alec. "Do you know if Rita was married?"

Alec rolled his eyes upward and kept them there, thinking of the only Rita he knew, which was the gallery owner and dealer that showcased Joshua's work. "Uh, I don't remember any rings," he supplied. "But that doesn't really mean anything." Max nodded and turned back to her call.

"Alec doesn't know if she was," Max offered and then sat up straighter, pulling her feet from her desk to drop down. "Yeah okay. Yep, you too. Bye."

She hung up the call, snapped the phone shut and held it back out to Alec. He took it from her warm hand and slipped it back into his coat. She smiled and leaned back in her chair. "Sketch offered to give me his old pager," she told him. "Number's still good on it."

"And what would you need that for?" Alec wondered. Max shrugged.

"I guess he felt bad about tying up your phone with our business," she supplied. "I pointed out that's it's all our business, but I did give him some of the safer lines to call in on."

"I have no problem with Sketch callin' me," Alec demurred. "Just as long as he realizes I'm not always available to chat."

"Yeah, I think that'd be fine," Max grinned and took a moment to stretch. "He misses you, you know. Says it's just not the same without his wing man." There was a gently teasing and Alec ducked his head.

"Hey, Sketch crashed and burned well enough on his own before I ever arrived," he joked.

"Uh huh," Max laughed along with him and when the laughter settled, she leaned forward to rest her elbows on the desk. "Well, a little chat for a few minutes here and there with the few allies we have is not gonna hurt anything. Probably do us some good in the long run. Did you know that Gem is thinking of asking Normal if he'll be Angie's honorary godfather?"

"What?" Alec was so taken by surprise by that little nuggets of information that he just didn't know what to think. "Where the hell did she get an idea like that?"

Max poked one hand in the air. "Guilty," she sang out and chuckled. "We were talking about Normal's experience with helping her through labor and I remembered him talking about his nieces and nephews a few times."

"Normal's got family?" Alec asked skeptically. "And here I thought he was just hatched, full grown with whistle, bullhorn, headset and clipboard in hand." The image was enough that they both snickered.

"Yeah," Max nodded. "He used to keep pictures of them at his desk, but when Ty started posting some nasty pictures on his locker, they went bye bye."

"Uh, not seeing the connection," Alec grunted.

"It was borderline porn and you know how Normal is about that," Max explained. Alec nodded quickly. "Ty claimed they were artistic shots of his girlfriend and if Normal could have family pictures, so could he."

"So that's why there was that rule about no personifying of office space or equipment?" Alec realized. Max nodded and pulled the notebook to her. She glanced over his notes and then nodded. Alec waited for any questions she might have, since his penmanship had gotten slightly more sloppy over the last year or so. He knew, didn't particularly care about it and neither it seemed, did she.

"Do you know what Mole is up to the rest of the morning?" she asked and Alec shrugged.

"Probably the usual," he decided. "Playing with what munitions we've got."

"Or working on the roster," Max agreed. "Well, I'm free for the next hour or so. Why don't we take a walk, get some more coffee and chat."

"Uh, okay," Alec slowly rose from his half lean, half seat on her desk. Max stood as well and scooted the chair back so that she could move around the desk. She snagged another of her coffee cups that seemed to litter her work and personal spaces and led the way out of her office and down the steps with Alec hot on her heels.

Looking eminently casual, she scanned the main floor until she caught sight of Mole, crouched down over a box with what looked like some electrical junk. She moved towards him, greeting people as she went. Alec nodded occasionally, but was more intrigued to see what it was she was trying to accomplish now. She stopped just before the lizard man, who glanced up immediately.

"Hey Mole," she greeted and then waved her coffee cup slightly. "We're gonna head to mess and get some coffee. Wanna join us?"

Mole eyed them suspiciously for a moment and then grinned lazily. "Yeah, sure," he agreed. "Just gimme a minute to deal with this."

"A'ight," Max agreed and shifted her stance to wait. Mole continued to dig through the box, pulling loose a few items, before standing and moving them to his desk. He then hefted the box up and closed it back up, before tilting it slightly, grabbing a marker and writing some numbers on the side. He turned to Julio. "Hey, have one of the boys from maintenance pick this up today!"

"You got it," Julio called back and then turned to work on whatever had his attention. Mole dropped the recapped marker back down to the desk and then opened one of the deeper drawers. He withdrew a slightly chipped coffee mug and then gestured for Max to go ahead. With a smile, she straightened, turned on her heel and led the way out of command.

Once they were outside of command, she turned to Mole, on her left and spoke. "So you guys have got the recon teams together?"

"We do," Mole agreed, glancing over her head at Alec. Alec ,not sure what his nonverbal question was, simply shrugged. "Did you want the list?"

"I'm pretty sure you guys have a good crew picked out for what we need," Max assured him as they walked an easy, measured pace that was neither too hurried nor too slow. "But I'm sure you guys are wondering why I was protesting the 6's being included."

"Yeah, that was obvious huh," Mole grinned, digging slightly in his pockets, but coming away with nothing. "You know, Manticore wasn't home sweet, but they did prepare us for this crap, thoroughly. And the 6's were no exception."

"I do know that," Max replied quietly, almost introspectively.

"And as much as you might want to, we can't mollycoddle them," Mole went on, though any accusatory tone seemed lost all of a sudden and Alec felt like he was watching a sudden plot twist in a movie that hadn't made itself totally apparent. It was an interesting sensation, to see another side of Mole and he was wondering if his attitude shift had been in response to Max's.

"Mmm," Max murmured. "It's not about mollycoddling, you're right," she agreed. "As much as I wish we could take us all back and start over, have a normal life, that ain't ever gonna happen. The responsible thing to do here is to make sure that each and every one of us learns the art of survival."

"Like I said," Mole grunted, "Manticore had that down."

"I think Max was referring to beyond that," Alec chuckled and Mole threw him a questioning look, while Max gave him a slightly warning one. "Manticore taught us the basics, from a military stand point. They expanded on that, but not a lot went into the other areas of life, did they?"

"Oh hell no they didn't," Mole agreed quickly enough with a laugh. Max seemed to relax, her shoulders releasing the sudden tension they carried.

"The thing that worries me," she began after Mole's chuckles died down, "is that no matter how well trained any of us are, some more than others, obviously, there are still things that can go sideways."

Both males were silent at that, since there wasn't really an argument for that.

"Even when we do our homework," Max went on, her voice trembling just slightly, "we can't be prepared for everything that's out there."

"Well," Alec in erupted slowly. "We're all pretty good at improvising and thinking outside the box."

"Up to a point, yes," Max agreed. They were quiet for a moment as they passed a group of the assigned construction workers. Alec caught sight of Grift, hauling some debris out and when the man saw them, he opened his mouth to call out, but Alec shook his head and his mouth snapped shut with a puzzled look. But then Grift shrugged and went back to his assigned task for the day.

Once they were clear of the others, Max picked up the thread again. "I know we have the sector cops, the military and police force responses down. Those are pretty much a given. But we aren't anything like they've dealt with before."

"So you're thinking they might try something they haven't done before," Mole clarified, nodding. It was obvious that the thought had occurred to him as well, which was why he was well suited to his job here in Terminal City. "You know it'll most likely just be a variation on something similar to what they've done before?"

"Statistics say so, but they aren't end of discussion on how it will go down," Max argued softly. Mole made no protest at that. "And on top of that, we've got the Familiars to figure out. The regular ones and what we've seen of their so called elite fighting force. To be honest, they're a little beyond our every day scope."

"Hey now," Alec grumbled. "I think we dealt with them easily enough." But both Mole and Max were shaking their heads.

"They're still such an unknown quantity," Max murmured.

"We've only fought a fraction of their different forces, if what intel tells us is correct," Mole agreed. "We don't know nearly enough about them to start predicting their moves, how they'll hit us, when."

"We need to start thinking, not about how we see them," Max grumbled, "but how they see us and the different offenses they can make to eradicate us."

Something seemed to dawn on Mole and he smirked. "This is what all these little plans of yours are about, huh?"

"Ya got me," Max deadpanned, holding her hands up, submissions style. "I'm trying to cover all my bases here, you know."

Mole was nodding, they were getting nearer to mess now and unconsciously slowing their steps, which Alec had no problem with, but...

"So how does this tie in with not wanting the 6's on missions?" he wondered. Max stopped at the next corner they were on.

"It's not that I don't want them going out, sort of," Max winced a little. "Honestly, I wish none of this had to happen, but I'm past that. What concerns me is the fact that the X-6's have so little real world mission time."

"Some of them do," Mole told her flatly and she nodded tiredly.

"But you guys are talking about how simple these recon missions are," she pointed out. "Things that these kids can handle. But, I seriously think that instead of pooh poohing how easy these will be, we need to approach every mission, even just recon, as if every single danger is going to be present."

"Max," Alec began to protest, knowing the power of mob mentality and paranoia.

"No Alec," she shook her head. "This isn't some freak out. We don't know when and where the Familiars will hit. We don't know what informants the cops have and what information might get leaked where, even if we don't intend it to."

"We're occupying hostile territory 494," Mole's voice was slightly edgy and Alec frowned at the use of his designation. "You know the drill on that. Max is right."

He gaped only slightly as the pair of them stood, united against him and then he smiled. He pretended to sniffle and wipe away a fake tear. "ah, look at my widdle wones, all grown up and playin' so well together."

It was enough to break the tension and Max laughed, before shoving him playfully. "You jerk. You just don't like it that I'm right and you're wrong."

Alec took the shove, as gentle as it was and held his hands up. "I'm just sayin'," was all he offered. Mole watched them indulgently for a moment and then whirled away.

"I'm getting' my coffee," he announced and walked on. Max chuckled and caught up with him in seconds. Alec made to follow, but his cell phone rang again and sighing, knowing some of the wiring in the old building played havoc with static, answered before going in.

"Yeah?"

"Hey Alec?" it was Dix. "Are you guys down at the commissary?"

"Just got here," he confirmed. "What's up?"

"We've got another batch coming in from the cold," Dix announced. "Max asked me to let her know. They're gonna be at LZ eight."

"All right," Alec nodded. "Gotcha. I'll tell her."

"'Kay, thanks."

Alec hung up the phone and ambled inside. He had brought no mug of his own, but was sure that he could snag a mug from mess and return it later. It happened all the time. When he entered, he didn't see Max and Mole by the old coffee urn that was set up for general consumption. A quick scan of the room, put them at the small rickety table out of the way. Both had steaming mugs of what passed for coffee around here before them and Max was looking over a piece of paper.

Alec quickly retrieved a mug of java and made his way to them. There were only two seats at the tale and as he moved around so he could steal a glance over her shoulder if she'd let him, Max shifted in her seat. She glanced up at him and then scooted to the very far edge of the chair and gestured for him to sit down.

"Thanks Max," he smiled appreciatively, though he didn't actually need to sit. But her warmth was soothing, her presence familiar and comforting. There was some part of him, in his mind that was clamoring to protect her and being as close as he could just made that all the easier. He perched carefully on the edge alloted to him and set his coffee cup within easy reach. "What's this?" he asked, gesturing to the paper that was a list of X6's.

"We're compromising," Mole informed him before taking a sip of his drink. "I don't have enough 5's to rotate through as many jobs as we're going to have to pull in the next few weeks. Not if they're going to retain any anonymity. So Max and I decided to allow the six's that already have mission time under their belt to participate."

"Okay," Alec mused a moment and then nodded. "Works for me."

Max nodded as well, looking resigned as she folded the list back up and handed it back to Mole. "And you'll keep the teams well mixed?" she prompted.

"Buddy up all the way," he promised. And it was no idle promise to get Max off his back, Alec saw. Mole was just as interested in keeping their people safe as Max was. It boded well, he felt, for future dealings.

"So hey," he began, turning his head to Max. "Dix just called. We got some more recruits heading in. Said you asked him to let you know?"

"I did," she agreed and glanced at her coffee. "Okay, give me a minute and then I'll head over. Where are they gonna be?"

"LZ eight," he provided. She nodded and stood from the seat and Alec immediately missed the warmth that had been radiating off of her. She headed towards the back, the kitchen and probably just beyond that, the bathroom. He was about to ask Mole what he was going to be up to, but found that the lizard man was watching Max walk away. There was something in his eyes and Alec tensed, trying to read it.

When Max finally walked through the doorway to the other room, Mole turned back and Alec was startled and just slightly dismayed to see the light of admiration in Mole's eyes.

"She's doin' good," Mole announced and Alec frowned. What the hell did that mean? The older man leaned back in his chair and seemed to be contemplating Alec. "I had my doubts about her, comin' in all high and mighty."

"We noticed," Alec countered dryly, still trying to figure what Mole's little sally was about.

"I guess all she needed was a little time," Mole decided. They were quiet, until Alec could deny his curiosity no longer.

"Time for what?" he asked softly.

"To figure things out," Mole shrugged one shoulder. "To get a handle on how to do this. She first got here? It was all orders, commands and directives. We responded, of course we did. But now?"

"How is now different?" Alec was interested, because he certainly remembered Max's idea of running a show and Mole was right, things had been changing.

"Two weeks ago, she woulda hauled me up to her office, reamed me for even suggesting something she didn't like and then handing down orders with no regards to what was in everyone's best interest."

Alec couldn't deny that, because she had done exactly that on several occasions. And not just to Mole. "And now?" he smiled, just a little.

"Now, she's treatin' me like an equal," Mole grunted, but Alec could see the hint, just a tiny glint of pride in the transhumans eyes. "Instead of a subordinate. Listenin' to what I have to say. She still gets her point across, but we ain't gonna be having anymore blowouts if she keeps this up."

Alec ducked his head a little and grinned. Somehow Maxie had accomplished what Alec had considered near impossible.

"But don't go getting your hopes up," Mole growled suddenly. "I still don't like her."

The mirth on his face belied those words, but Alec wisely held his peace about that. "No one said you had to man. Just as long as you can work with her."

"That, I can do," Mole nodded and then pushed his chair back, just as Max was returning.

"All right," she grinned slightly. "I'm heading over to check out the new recruits. You guys coming with?" Mole shook his scaly head immediately.

"I'm going to head back to command and start working up the specific rosters," he told them "See if I can pair up some six's with five counterparts and get all our bases covered."

"Sounds good," Max agreed, but then as she leaned over to snag her cup, cried out, "oh, Mole!"

"Yeah?"

"Remind me, when we both have a little time," she began, straightening up with cup in hand, "I'd like to talk to you about some of your missions. Pick your brains about something."

He regarded her for the briefest of seconds. "Yeah, okay," he agreed with a shrug. "See ya later," he threw over his shoulder and Alec wondered why the man automatically assumed that Alec wouldn't be returning to command with him.

"Shall we?" Max caught his attention and as she smiled up at him and then turned to head out the door, Alec realized that Mole must have also picked up on whatever instinct Alec was running off of in regards to Max. As he smiled easily and followed her lead, he could only hope that the scarily canny lizard man didn't read too much into it. But remembering the teasing from that morning? Alec knew it was a futile wish at best.


	14. Solitary Soul

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Rating: PG-15

Pairing: M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

Spoilers/ Time line: Sequel to Dream Within.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first, please.

Chapter Fourteen

Solitary Soul

"So what were you and Mole chattin' about?" Max asked of him as they made their way to the check-in point that Dix had claimed as the arrival point of their newest comers.

"Uh, this and that," Alec hedged, wondering how Max would take it now, to being the topic of discussion. He kept an eye on her peripherally, and she didn't seem at all perturbed that they had been talking about her behind her back. "Just recent developments."

"And you got things figured out?" she asked, a smile tugging at her lips. Alec had the sense that she knew exactly what had been going on with them and that there were no worries or bad feelings on her part.

"We did," he sighed, rubbing one hand over the nape of his neck. "As far as we ever do, I guess."

"All right," she shrugged one shoulder and picked up her pace a little. "As long as it's not gonna cause a problem down the road."

Alec had the sensation that she had been giving him an opportunity, but he wasn't sure what it was for. The obvious, that he tell her what he and Mole had said about her, didn't seem quite right. Because he knew, without a single doubt, that if Max wanted to know, pre-accident, and even post accident, what was going on, she would just ask. Or demand. It wasn't the reason, it was the method that had seemed to change. But when she wanted something, she still went ahead and went after it. A lot like he, for the most part.

He quieted and strengthened his stride to match her no nonsense walk, tying to decipher if she was pissed. She certainly didn't look it. There was the usual determination, tempered by something else he didn't quite recognize and hadn't been able to figure out yet. It bothered him, because he had gotten to a point where he thought he knew every single mood that Max had. And all the nuances that went with them. But here she was, still throwing him for a loop. She'd probably think that was hilarious. Knowing how much time a day Alec was having to devote to trying to figure her out now. Any female probably would think it hilarious.

When they finally arrived at the small group of newcomers, just three this time, he heard Max's sharp inhale and then long sigh. He glanced down at her, recalling the last group that she had helped bring in.

"Recognize any of them?" he asked, half teasingly so that she wouldn't take offense at thinking that she was hiding things from him, though of course she was.

"Not a one," she replied sadly and before he could ask her for further information, she had straightened her shoulders and was striding forward. He followed after, scanning the area, though he knew that any possible threats would have been dealt with and eliminated. But still... this was Max. His brow furrowed as he tried to decipher what was affecting her sudden down swing, though slight, in her mood.

"Hey Luke," Max greeted inmoderate tones, looking for the rest of the world, happy and carefree. But Alec could see the tension, just around the tightness of her eyes and rigidity in her back. "I see you beat us down here."

"Hey," Luke grinned as he turned away a little from the three, two males and one female to tilt the clipboard towards Max. "Just got done taking the vitals."

Max glanced over the information that Like had obviously jotted down. "Good deal," she nodded. "Mmm," she glanced up at the girl. "You'd be 412?"

"Yes ma'am," the girl snapped off quietly, but kept herself from saluting, which made Max smile.

"And have you chosen a name?" Max asked gently. The girl hesitated and Alec started to wonder again, as he had last time, what was going on with their leader. She had barely paid the two males any attention, which a part of him was quite relieved about. But they were certainly eying her with interest. Without comment, he moved in a little closer, using the excuse of looking over Max's shoulder at the clipboard that Luke still held between them. After that unnecessary perusal, he glanced up at the two new X-5's, neither of which he recognized either. He had a suspicion that they were from the Seattle encampment, but he, being one of the escapee's twins, would have had limited contact with them. General grunts, not on active solo missions. Apparently they hadn't yet made the cut to assassinations, like he had.

"Uh, not as yet ma'am?" the girl returned, hesitantly and Max just waved that away.

"Let us know when you do," she informed her and then seemed to recall the others and glanced up at them. Alec could see their sudden renewed posturing before Max, and while she didn't seem interested, Alec knew that it wouldn't matter in the lomg run. Some guys got off on a girl, any girl, appearing to play hard to get. Lord knew he...

Instead of throwing out his usual quip about Max and naming things, he kept his silence. He didn't want these males to think that they would have any claim to Max at all, even if it were as simple as suggesting names to use, beyond her being the leader of the little city they wanted refuge in.

"Okay," Max nodded back to Luke. "You seem to have a handle on this," she announced and it was a silent approval and indication to the transhuman to continue. She shifted back and while Alec would usually mimic her position, he didn't move, allowing her to brush back against his shoulder. To his utter surprise, that he tried and made sure not to show on his face, she didn't shove him away or move aside, just continued to hold her position.

Luke, ignorant or at least not commenting on these little things, continued to gather their information, turning from one to the next to discover, already having their designations and names chosen, now what unit mates, company numbers and specialties they could add to the list. He heard and felt Max's wince when 412 revealed that she had mission status under her belt and had in fact been separated from her unit at the time of Manticore's burning because she was on her first solo mission.

"So you'd be Remy," Max murmured and the girl looked surprised.

"Yes ma'am," she offered, her eyes puzzled until comprehension dawned and she smiled. "They're here then?"

"They are," Max confirmed. "Came in a few days ago."

"So, they told you..." the girl tried to contain her grin and Max chuckled, though it sounded forced to Alec's ears.

"Yeah," Max nodded. "And if you want to change, now's the time to do it."

"Oh, well, I like my name," Remy announced, seeming relieved. "It's from a comic." She shrugged a little, seeming sheepish. "I like to blow things up."

"You'll get along great with our munitions experts then," Alec smiled at the girl and felt Max shiver. He knew, just knew with every fiber of his being that something was pricking at that over active mind of hers.

"All right," Luke ran his finger over the information he'd gotten. "This is all good. Should we head over to HQ then?" That was standard procedure, but he still looked to Max, who after Alec poked her gently in the back, blinked heavily and then gave him a short nod when she came back to herself.

On the walk over, Alec was quite surprised and very suspicious when Max continually chatted with Remy, totally ignoring everyone else. They chatted about what Remy had been up to before coming here, which was of course lying low and looking for word of her unit mates. She had tried to exhaust all avenues of reconnoitering with them on the outside and this was her last resort, since she had heard rumors about who was in charge. Remy seemed to have realized that she had made a faux pas about that, but Max just waved it away. She just quipped that you had to get to know her before you hated her, making the whole group chuckle. Alec stayed silent and it took them until they were almost to head quarters before he realized what might be bothering her.

They had just that morning with Mole, been discussing sending X-6's, of which Remy was one, out on the recon missions. Max had been adamantly against it and had finally given in to allowing the 6's that had mission status to participate. Max had probably thought that she had more.. control or something over this, but then, up popped a young soldier and a female to boot, though it wouldn't have mattered to Manticore. But a young girl that would be included in a mission or more that Max seemed sure were destined to end badly. And there wasn't anything that Alec could do to deny that. He was honest enough to know that Max was right about that. Something that he had tried to get her to be up front with and deal with in the first few weeks of their self imposed incarceration. And though she was being quiet about it, she wasn't dealing with it any better than she had before, wrestling this question with her own conscious as she was.

Once they had entered HQ, Alec idly checking first to make sure that they hadn't pulled out the hover drone again between this morning and now. They hadn't, which made sense because the call about the newcomers had gone through HQ of course. They knew what they were doing, especially when new unknowns were being thrown into the mix. He stayed right by Max's side as Luke was joined by Dix for the further debriefment. And even though they weren't touching, just standing side by side, sort of leaning back on one of the desks, Alec could feel the tension radiating off of Max's body.

When it finally came time to assign quarters, Alec volunteered to take Remy to where her unit mates were quartered. Max looked as if she were about to protest. Alec turned to her to whisper, "Max, it's been a long morning. You can talk to her again later. Why don't you take a small break and we can chat when I get back."

It wasn't a question and he braced himself for her disapproval. But to his surprise and pleasure, she smiled up at him. "I'll take your advice, but I can't guarantee anything." She then turned back and with an impish grin at the two males, who had chosen Dirk and James as some names to try out, said very clearly, "this is why Alec is the perfect 2IC for me." She turned back to him and Alec forced himself to focus on her face, disregarding the dark look on James' face. "I'll be up in my office when you get back."

"I'll bring lunch," he agreed, referring to their usual routine.

She nodded and with a murmured, "welcome to utopia", to the trio, moved gracefully away from the group and to the stairwell.

Feeling immensely buoyed, Alec clapped his hands together. "So who's ready to see the new home sweet?"

It didn't take Alec long to deliver Remy to her overjoyed unit mates. It did take longer than he had anticipated in extracting himself from their joyous reunion. They all wanted to talk and tell Remy about their own entry into the city and give their impressions. Surprisingly, Max's knowledge of their names and desingations didn't register as that out of the ordinary to the youngsters. Alec realized that it was simply, to the slightly more moldable youth, that it had been a continuation of what Manticore had impressed upon them. Manticore command had always been a step or more ahead of their soldiers and knew more than you thought they did. Max, in some circles, with rumors running rampant about her capture and consequent second escape from their clutches, was reaching some pretty high plateaus of amazingness in some of the transgenics eyes.

But every time Alec was about ready to head off, the youngsters would ask for his opinion. At last, Alec cited his need to get back to headquarters, since he had work. He could see their eyes lighting up at the thought of something to do and held up his hands peaceably. A simple enough matter of letting them know that their names were being considered on the rosters in several areas and to check in with HQ each morning after eight. Once they were assigned to a unit or area or someone took control of handling them during the day, they'd know.

He didn't bother to tell them that the process of gaining these responsibilities could be long, due to the standardized routine they ran through for vetting their newcomers. And Remy's was just about to start.

The walk back to TC was marred only by the sudden but expected rain storm. Alec, knowing that he was going to get soaked whether he ran or walked, that heavy and fat were the rain drops, decided to make a pit stop at his apartment.

It had been some time since he had replaced his bundle of clothes that he kept at headquarters for cases just like this. It was a sure bet in Seattle that you were going to see this weather often. Once home, he packed up some warm, serviceable clothes, resisting the urge to change right then and there, since he had to go back out and would just get wet all over again and clothing was one of the things he lacked a variety and multitude of. Once the bag was as waterproof as he could make it, Alec donned the pack and headed back out. It was getting close to lunch time and he remembered his promise to bring something back for Max.

Frowning slightly, he decided that he'd check in with her, check on what was available, retrieve lunch and then once he had returned, get out of his wet clothes. Or better yet, he could just go to head quarters, figure out what was available and send someone else to get it. Alec grinned as he hurried along now. One of the great perks about being second in command. Got to order the minions around. Sure, some of his requests, like the one he'd just been thinking about got him back talk and snide comments, but it got done. They were soldiers, they were trained, the did think independently well, but they all also knew that if Alec asked, it was because there was something else going on he needed to deal with. So he amended his thoughts. He would ask, not order.

That apparently seemed to be something of a theme this day.

He arrived at headquarters just as thunder boomed in the area and a flash of lightning crackled down. He didn't bother to wonder about pinpointing the area. He was inside and wasn't planning on leaving again for a while. The short transverse of hallways to the office was rapidly accomplished. He would have headed straight up to the upper levels, but when he simply waved in the other occupants direction and made for the stairs, he noted that Joshua was quick to separate from the group and hurry over to him. He paused, one foot at the bottom step and turned his face expectantly.

"Might not want to disturb Max now," Joshua instructed him gently, glancing up at the closed office door. Alec followed his eye line and shrugged, before patting the big guy on the chest .

"Wasn't planning on disturbing her," he offered. "She knows I was stopping in when I got back."

That said, he began to climb up the stairs. But the tone of Joshua's next words as well as the words themselves caught him off guard.

"Alec," the warning there was soft, implicit and to Alec's attuned ears, sorrowful. "She's talking to Logan."

It felt as if the stairs had just given way. And his internal organs did that strange free fall, not straight down, but rolling and tumbling and heaving as they went. His teeth gnashed together and he could feel the vein in his temple throbbing suddenly.

"Any specific reason why?" he asked through his clenched jaw, trying not to allow the sudden wealth of confusing emotions that those two, when involving him in some weird uneven triangle caused, to show through. He was quite sure that Joshua, nor anyone else in the building and within hearing or sight, was fooled.

"Didn't say," Joshua sighed. "Just that it was a private call."

"All right," Alec nodded once and then continued his ascent. "Gonna go get changed out of these wet clothes." The words were unnecessary, but Alec used them anyway. To give himself time to cover, to be left alone, to center himself once more.

As he ducked into his office down from Max's, he berated himself harshly. He should have seen this coming, he decided. A leopard didn't change it's spots. It just found new cover for camouflage so that you couldn't see it pounce on you until it was too late. And that was how he felt. Like something was chewing up his insides.

There was a tiny voice in part of his mind that was telling him that he didn't have the whole story. That Max might have had a very good, very legitimate reason for calling the wannabe computer "expert". Of course, everything that Logan claimed that made him an asset to Max? Yeah, they had all that in Terminal City and more specifically in head quarters, and in spades.

Except for one thing.

There was apparently no one there, in the entire city, that manipulated Max the way he did. For as much as she did for that jack-off who had forced his way and his philosophy onto Max, disrupting her life to the extreme that it had. Endangering her life. That was the kind of crap they didn't pull. But Logan...

Alec nearly tore the short from his body after he had sloughed his shoes and socks. Tossing it to the corner of the room, he leaned over his pack to remove the dry clothing. But even as his hands gripped at the edges of the bag, Alec experienced the strangest spinning of his head. He'd not felt this before, his mind whirling until he was able to liken it to the descriptions of vertigo that he'd read about. He righted himself immediately, but the effect didn't go away.

He sank down to a crouch, taking long minutes before he could admit the truth. It wasn't any physical ailment causing this reaction. It was purely emotional, as a fear prompted response to a situation that was dizzying and out of his control. He had to own up to what was really going on with him.

It had been there all along and he had been able to accept it on it's surface.

He was jealous. And it wasn't just a surface realization. He had long ago accepted his feelings for Max, complicated and intense and for a time, to be hidden behind a facade of being all right, all the time. He had even almost fooled himself for a while. But he didn't like being the fool. Things had come to a head when she had lied to Logan about she and Alec being together. There were few things that Alec had, himself, his mind, his morals and his code of behavior were prevalent among them. And Alec had found honor in those. He hadn't been lying when he told her that doing what she had suggested, that lie had been wrong, for him.

And not because he wanted it to be truth. But because he wanted it to be the truth, done the right way. And using him to push Logan away hadn't been right. When Max had had her accident and then in the time after, had severed contact with Logan and turned her focus to them, meaning the transgenics and to him... She had asked him what his dream was. And she had known the truth.

And hope and yearning had bloomed in his heart. It ran like a weed unchecked, a virus through his system. Cropping up in the most unexpected places. And while he could try and trim it down, beat it back, he had been unable to cut out the heart of it. He had wanted to let it go, let it run wild and see where this led him, them. But for one tiny thing. He had sensed, he had known, that somehow, Max herself wasn't quite ready. She needed time. She needed to be able to put all the past behind herself. And not just be ready to move forward, but to embrace doing so.

And all this time, there had been the secret hope that this was precisely what she was doing. The laughing and the flirting, changing her routine and how she looked at herself and others. Alec had been guarded against it, but it ran through his very spirit that she was getting there. It scared him, feeling that intently but having to lock it away.

And now as he had finally started to give in to the emotions, she had pulled this one eighty and was right back to what she had done before. Things got tough and she turned to Logan. She put a halt to things between them and in just a matter of time was back on the line with him. Did she never learn?

Apparently not.

Alec wanted to rage, to hurt and be hurt in a more visceral manner. If he could achieve that, then perhaps this hurt inside would lessen. Could find some distraction from it. But he knew that all the physical beat down in the word would not compare. Taking several deep, long breaths, Alec resolutely made some decisions that while maybe not for the best of the world, was what he needed right now.

It was time to not just lock it away. It was time to purge Max from his system. He ignored the voice in his mind that pointed out that he was being awfully quick to condemn her. Her actions alone didn't prove all that much. But Alec was too reminiscent of exactly how this break down went. And he was not going on the ride this time.

Certainly, he decided as he quickly finished changing as he had duties that he needed to attend to, that he would keep up with those duties. He had come to care for Terminal City and it's latest inhabitants on his own, with no external prompting necessary. And he was able to take those responsibilities seriously. It was to them and himself that he would dedicate his work. Out of necessity, they needed a leader and since they were following Max, then he would find a way to work with her. But this entire job would become just that, a job. No more private meetings that weren't one hundred and twenty percent necessary to be that way. No more seclusion for breaks and meals. Everything would be conducted in a clear and above board manner. He would search the rosters and find a suitable bodyguard for their leader and if she wouldn't listen to reason about that, he knew he could appeal to Joshua for help. And Mole as well, he was sure.

The list making in his head went on and on until he had finished the majority of assignments that had been weighing his desk down. He never realized that people out on the main floor were just as worried and as upset about what this sudden shift in the atmosphere prophesied for them. They could all feel it, in the air, in themselves, that things had changed. Like animals scenting the air before a big storm was unleashed, they were all wary and tense, reacting to the smallest of changes with watchful eyes.

The real storm raging outside of the buildings had nothing on the one inside.


	15. Home Away From Home

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Rating: PG-15

Pairing: M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

Spoilers/ Time line: Sequel to Dream Within.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first, please.

Chapter Fifteen

Home Away From Home

The storm had passed.

It was apparent as the rain slackened off from the roof, moving from an incessant pounding against the metal covering to a gentler pinging, then the familiar soft splatter and finally a trickle down to nothing.

The same could sort of be said for Alec. As he had forcibly engaged in busy work, for that was truly what it was, the pounding in his mind, his heart and the rest of him had gentled as well. He still was of the self realized conviction that he had allowed himself to be ruled by emotions that he couldn't and didn't want to name when it came to Max. And by extension, the things in her life that intruded upon his. And that was pretty much everything. He had let his eyes become too full of her that it left sight for nothing else. And he knew that was dangerous for more reasons than one.

But when he finally packed up for the day, his excuse fresh on his lips of why he didn't keep to his promise and bring Max some lunch, or even retrieve any for himself, he was just a little dismayed to find that he didn't need it. As he left the office, his back pack of slightly damp clothes with him, he was surprised to see that her office door stood open. There were no sounds issuing forth from the room. As he cautiously passed by, he couldn't help letting his eyes slide in, widening when he realized that she really wasn't there. And from all he could gather in those few seconds, she hadn't been for a while.

He was trying to congratulate himself for being so good at his new intentions of not hanging off every word, action or thought revolving around her, in not even noticing that she had left her office. But somehow the idea fell flat. He should have been aware of her leaving. A good solider, which is what he was, should have known. But perhaps he had not truly noticed because his senses knew that she was still nearby or at least in the building.

Darting his glance down to the main floor, he scanned the area but could not see either dark mahogany hair, as hers was under the fluorescent lights they had rigged up, or even a feminine form amidst the still present population. His footsteps caused a clatter as he came down the steps, heavier than he meant them to be. But only one transhuman glanced up. The rest of them wee used to Alec coming and going.

"Hey Alec," Luke called from his desk, his eyes just barely flickering to the side in acknowledgment that Alec was apparently leaving for the night.

"Hey," Alec returned once he was on the bottom step.

"Can you do me a favor?" Luke wondered, his eyes returning to the computer monitor screen, even as his fingers had never left the keyboard.

"Depends on the favor," Alec sighed, too tired from his new mental regimen already to play games. That got a slight smile out of the other man and this time he did move his hands. He turned to the protruding table that served as a secondary desk extension for all his extra bits and bobs that were necessary to his work. He plucked a file from a stack and held it up.

"Can you let Max know I've got her stuff here?" he asked politely and then turned back to his computer, taking for granted that if it involved Max, Alec would be only too pleased to perform. Well, Alec had to remind himself, it wasn't like he'd passed a memo with his new idealism, to the rest of command central.

"Any reason you can't tell her yourself?" Alec asked, his tone a little snide. That caused a stunned, owlish blinking in more than one being present.

"Well, seeing how she left a couple hours ago," Luke remarked, pleasantly, crossing his hands over his stomach, "it's a little difficult for me to just run this upstairs. And since you live right next door to her, I didn't see a problem. Of course, if you'd rather, I suppose I can call one of the newbies to run her a message." He turned to regard Dix. "What's that one kid's name? Jimmy something?" Alec's lips thinned at Luke's oh so veiled threat. He knew perfectly well what that suck up interloper's name was.

But Dix, ever the helpful transhuman that he was, piped up immediately. "Jiminy," he nodded. "Good choice. Max likes him. Guess he makes her laugh."

Alec's mouth was open and yapping before his brain could even fully digest what Dix was implying. "Don't bother. We were all agreed," he reminded them swiftly, "newbies don't approach the senior staff unless it's an emergency."

"Oh right," Luke nodded quickly. "I just figured, he's almost through his transition and the guy's clean, as far as we've been able to find. I thought from what Max said, that she was gonna place him here, since he's all about comms. My mistake, I guess."

"I'll take it," Alec sighed. How difficult would it be? Knock on her door, hand her the file and say good night. He could accomplish that. He reached for the file, but Luke's hand shot out, covering the manila material before Alec could even touch it.

"Uh," Luke hesitated, his eyes squinting a little and he shook his head, "directive 8?" he questioned gently and Alec grimaced. He should have remembered. It was one of Max's directives that everyone had agreed unanimously to. Sensitive material did not leave Command. Not in print or other viable for like that.

"Right, right," Alec nodded quickly. "Okay, her stuff is in, anything else she needs to know?" he demanded tiredly, praying that there was nothing else.

"Nope," Luke shook his head, his hand easing off the pile. "That was it. Have a good night."

"You too," Alec rejoined and turned away from the desk to continued his trudging steps towards the apartment building that he called home.

The entire way, he gave himself a pep talk, such as he had not needed since he was an unbearded youth, out in the big bad world on his first mission. He could do this, he told himself. All he had to do was stop at her door, knock, wait until she answered, tell her Luke's message and say good night. He didn't have anything to add, he had no other information to offer, so it should be a simple procedure.

But what if she wanted to talk?

He swallowed heavily, remembering how many times he had ended up being a sounding board for the various problems in her life. And not because she wanted him to be. But because he could not help sticking his nose in, trying to get her to open her eyes. To wise up about the reality of the ways of the world. And more importantly, as transgenics hiding in that world, how it would fall around them when things went south, as they inevitably did.

How could he convince her that he would prefer to have just a business, professional relationship when everything up until this point had been anything but? They still had to work with one another and even when that was all they did, there were still times and moments when it had gone beyond that. And there was also his resolution that she still needed someone close keeping an eye on her. And because he hadn't been able to come up with a qualified individual on his own, that meant he was still the forerunner in that position. To be honest, there weren't many others that he would trust with her well being. Even in just the strictest sense of the bodyguard job description.

None of the others around them were aware of Max's reactions to different things. They weren't used to predicting her behavior based on the stress indicators of her life. When a normal person would go one way, with certain persons or outside sources involved, Max invariably jumped the other way. And Alec knew that. And informing and training another person to that mind set, to anticipate her moods and stubborness was almost too monumental a job to perform. Alec was only good at it because he had been at it for so long.

He eventually reached the apartment complex and with trepidation building each step he took closer to her apartment, it was starting to turn into an actual physical illness. His stomach was clenching and churning as he contemplated what this moment actually would be. It took him several minutes to work up the nerve to knock at her door. And he was surprised because he had thought that she would have heard him coming and met him at the door as she had several times before.

But perhaps her mind was so full of good old Logie boy that she hadn't been paying attention. He strove to get his breathing under control, just noting in time, the heaving pants of breath he was exuding as his ire over Logan's interference again. Albeit from Max dragging him back into this mess.

But when his hand finally did come down on the solid wooden portal that was keeping them apart, it sounded empty. And seemed ineffectual. Like any force he was trying to exude was severely lacking. Alec waited just a moment and then repeated the procedure, a little more loudly this time around. But there was no answer. Nor was there any corresponding movement from within the apartment itself that he could discern.

Frowning to himself, Alec wondered if the emotional wear she had intentionally put herself through had been enough to make her knock off early. Was she hiding out in her room, licking her wounds yet again? Alec turned slightly, pressing his ear to the door. But he could hear nothing within. Cautiously, telling himself that he was just executing the duty that Luke had charged him within, he tested the door knob.

It turned easily and quietly under his hand and then he was once more in her apartment. But she wasn't. He could tell at a glance, just from knowing her so well. All inner doors in the apartment stood open. Meaning she wasn't taking a relaxing bath. Her bedroom door standing open, which meant she wasn't laying down for one of her unceremonious and very rare, until recently, rest periods. He couldn't say sleep, since she had informed him on several occasions that she didn't always sleep.

And she certainly wasn't in the apartment anywhere else. She had been there. He could tell by the slightly damp shoes at the front door that she'd been home to change them, but at what time, he couldn't say. Cursing slightly under his breath, Alec whirled around and as he approached the front door once more, noted that her favorite coat and her gloves were gone.

_'She couldn't have!'_ he fumed to himself as he stormed out the door. His mind had made several intuitive leaps and he didn't like one bit where they were heading.

Of course, just like the usual song and dance, that Max and Logan performed, one would call the other, the whole forbidden fruit issue would rear it's ugly head and they'd be after one another like the glow on a firefly's ass.

_'If she's snuck out of here...I'll...-!'_ Alec couldn't rightly decide what his reaction would be as the knot of fear and trepidation and just plain hurt curled in his abdomen. He stomped through the old building, on his way back out, not paying attention to anything else at the moment.

He needed to decide which course of action to take to handle this. Not only was it breaking a major rule that they had _ALL_ decided on, Max bringing it up first, but this was taking a personal risk that she had agreed she would not do again. Not after her accident the last time. And what the hell had been so important that she had to go haring off-!

He had reached street level by that point, his anger fueling his speed and as he came out of the main door, he had been taken aback by the scene before him.

The rain soaked street took him straight back to the day of Max's accident. And just like it was for him, so it would be for her. Too close, too much a reminder of the badness that had followed.

Inhaling the fresh scent of the rain, on top of the detritus that rain always seemed to bring to an occupied area filled with substandard housing and sewer capabilities, Alec let the anger wash away. He was making these intuitive leaps based on the wrong assumptions. As he had sworn to himself that he was not going to run around making decisions based on his emotions, he realized that he was doing exactly that.

He had taken two plus two and ended up with twenty-two. And there wasn't even two and two to begin with. There had been a billion reasons from before. Back when things had been clear to him. The days before the siege, before the trouble had really started up. When all he had to worry about was making money, keeping his shelter and food supply and watching over himself and her. Keep them under the radar. But now he had been basing those assumptions off of what would have happened back then. But that was precisely because he didn't have a clue of what she would do now. This new Max was still pretty much an enigma to him.

Still breathing deeply, Alec forced himself to reassess before he flew off the handle.

Looking at just the plain facts, Alec curled his lips up. He knew that Max had a phone call with Logan. He knew that she had not approached him during or after the telephone call to share what was going on. He could draw conjecture from that, but would not at this moment, since that was what had made him fly off the handle in the first place. He knew that Max was not in her apartment. He had no proof that her conversation with Logan was anything but business. Or that it was anything but personal. He had no proof that she was hiding away licking her wounds. He had no proof that she had left the perimeter that they had created around Terminal City.

He also knew that he was expected to deliver Luke's message. So he had reasonable excuse to go looking for her and put his early assumptions to rest. And the first thing to do was to find out for sure whether she was in Terminal City or not.

Feeling that his assessment on the weather conditions holding her back from riding over to Logan's or anywhere else for that matter, was the correct one, prompted him to his next conclusion. Alec figured she'd be on foot. And that would normally cut, just a little, the time that she'd be ahead of him. But also, he had no time frame for when she left the office, when she had returned to her apartment, how much time she had spent there and where she had gone from there.

He debated for only a moment whether to follow one of two paths. He could check with the perimeter security guards to check in with them if Max had left. Or he could search out the other likely places that she would go if she were troubled. His first instinct to that idea was to say Joshua. And while it was true that she had been enlarging her circle of friends lately, it also occurred to Alec that she would not offend Joshua by ignoring him in any manner. Nor was she as likely to visit someone else when and if Logan or anything to do with Eyes Only was on her mind.

It would simply take too long for her to explain the bits and pieces that made up their relationship, even though the entirety of their population with some glaring exceptions were aware of that disaster. Alec knew he couldn't divide himself up to go every which way at once, though wouldn't it be kind of cool if he could. So he had to choose one and hope it was the correct path.

And that was how he found himself heading to Joshua's apartment building. He breathed a sigh of relief when he was greeted by a member of the X5-series, asking if he was looking for Max.

"Yeah, you seen her?" he gave a brief smile, though he wasn't quite in the mood. He would always, in some way, around some people, even if they were his people, subscribe to the 'show the world you're always alright' mentality. He was one of their leaders after all.

"Saw her earlier when I was heading out," the kid nodded his head full of inky colored hair and there was an absentminded thought in the back of Alec's brain that perhaps Rory, the barber might have some business again soon. He'd have to talk to the guy about it. "I think she was heading up to see Joshua."

"Should have known," Alec chuckled with relief and a small nod. "All right, thanks." The kid nodded and ducked into the building, holding the door for Alec. He trailed after the young man, who turned off at the second floor. Alec headed straight to the top. That could have been, he decided as he took the stairs two at a time, the other draw to bring Max here. She liked high places, he knew that well enough. And the view that Joshua had was pretty incredible.

Not even winded when he reached his friend's door, he still took a moment to inhale deeply and calm his senses yet again. He rapped sharply once on the door and found that it was unlatched and ajar.

"Come in!" Joshua called from the recesses of the apartment. Alec poked his head in, listening quietly, but heard no other sounds.

"Hey Josh," he called back, once he was inside. "It's me."

"Hey me," Joshua chuckled back and despite things, Alec grinned. He moved into the living room that had changed little from the last time he had been there. Joshua was standing at an easel though, not aligned straight in the room, but at an angle. And Alec could see on the paper attached to said easel, as he moved up behind the large man, glimpses of what looked like a skyline. It looked like Joshua was trying to paint the view from his window, but at the same time, take advantage of the last of the light pouring in now from the break in the weather that was parting the clouds.

"Pretty," Alec commented once he'd given the half formed painting a slightly more thorough look, as he clapped Joshua on the back.

"Never really try scenery before," Joshua nodded. "Harder than it looks. Book says fill in the shadows. Give definition."

"Good advice, I guess," Alec shrugged and took a surreptitious look around.

"Brain does it all the time," Joshua nodded as he brought his pastels board closer to him again and began combining a darker blue with a lighter gray.

"Huh?" Alec grunted as soon as Joshua's words penetrated.

"Brain," Joshua repeated softly. "Eyes don't always see, so brain fills in what it's seen before. Like walking home. Do it so much, don't really look, but when the brain remembers, it sees everything that should be there. Fills it in, even if not looking."

"Oh okay," Alec nodded. He understood then what Joshua was referring to. It was a simple technique the mind had when one was preoccupied. It was why the assassin's precept of looking like they belonged in a situation that they actually didn't, worked so well. If they didn't look out of the ordinary, people didn't notice them. No one actually looked millimeter to millimeter of everything that they encountered in every environment they were in. There was even a name for it. Constructive perception.

People expected to see what they always saw.

"What Alec need?" Joshua prompted gently and Alec, startled out of his moment of reflection turned back from staring absently at the painting.

"Oh yeah, I was wondering if Max dropped by?" he offered simply. "Got a message for her from Luke."

"Max here earlier," Joshua nodded as he continued to mix colors. He dabbed a little on a blank paper at his side, contemplated it with a tilt of his head then went back to adding some more of the light gray. He paused for just the briefest of moments. "Alec not tell Max about painting. Thank you."

"Not a problem big guy," Alec grinned. He was still pretty happy that he'd been able to do that. "Did she talk to you about that?"

"Told Joshua idea of painting Angie," Joshua nodded and then grinned. "Dress sounds pretty."

"And what'd you think?" Alec wondered softly, assessing the big guy's mood. He was smiling, so one could assume it went well.

"Told Max needed time to think about it," Joshua grunted. And then barked out a short laugh. "Angie pretty hard to sit still for portrait."

"Probably," Alec nodded and then laughed. "Yeah, she is pretty wriggly, isn't she?" He pursed his lips for another moment. "Maybe you could paint her when she's sleeping, when you watch her."

The beaming smile on his larger friend's face told Alec that Joshua had probably had the same thought. Josh nodded. "Still moves, not as much though. Need her awake for her face though. Told Max needed to practice again."

"So you're thinking you'll do it?" Alec hedged, wanting clear clarification. Joshua regarded Alec with huge unblinking eyes.

"Yes," he finally answered slowly. "Thinking. Tell Max when I decide."

"Okay," Alec sighed, though he wasn't disappointed by any means. "Well, good luck with the practice then. So now, about Max...?"

"Visited," Joshua dismissed with a shrug. "Talk about Angie and Gem. So she go visit."

"She went to see Gem and Angie?" Alec demanded, though not harshly. He had just been thinking earlier about her new circle of friends and Gem was one that he would have counted among them. Joshua nodded. "Okay, well, I'm about done for the night. I'll just head over there and catch her real quick." He stepped back and assessed the painting once more. "Night Josh," he offered before turning away and making his way out of the apartment. There was a quiet murmur and once he was at the door, glanced back over his shoulder and saw that Joshua was immersed once more.

It was good for Joshua that he had something occupying his free time once more. It was too bad Max didn't have a hobby like that she could pick up to fill up the free time she had on her hands with her shark DNA.

Maybe that, he mused, would be the key to keeping her out of so much of the trouble she found herself in that wasn't related to Eyes Only missions, or rescuing the transgenics. But then, too, when was there time, or had been time in her life in recent memory for anything but those things?

Realizing that he was getting dangerously sympathetic to her once more, Alec instead filled his mind with the quickest route to Gem's. It was an inane thing to think about because Gem's place was ridiculously close to Joshua's.

But when he arrived there, it was to the bad news that Max had come and gone. She'd actually, according to Gem, who was whispering because Angie was down for a nap, had quite a lengthy visit. Over an hour that they had chatted and Max had played with the baby while Gem got some things around her apartment taken care of.

Alec had asked how her mood seemed. Gem had just shrugged and said about usual. She had seemed a little preoccupied when she had arrived, but when she mentioned that she had called Cale, then explained that it wasn't commonly known info, Gem hadn't pressed and Max hadn't volunteered anything else. Instead, they had talked of the clothing and supplies that Gem had received for Angie. She was growing again, what else was to be expected and Gem had been relived that she was now more prepared for it with the supplies. Max had even gotten to put Angie into a very adorable pink jump suit that had bunnies all over the bottom.

She was still wearing it if Alec wanted to peek in and see.

Alec stared at Gem's highly amused face and slowly shook his head, one eyebrow quirked up so high it was nearly reaching his hairline. His mouth opened to retort, but then snapped it shut, realizing that anything he said would either offend the young mother or be wildly inappropriate. Probably both.

"Actually," he had finally sighed, "I'm off the clock here. I just need to deliver this message to Max and then I'm gonna go crash for twelve hours."

"You are looking a little stressed," Gem had nodded in agreement. "When she left, she said she was gonna go check in on some kids."

It took Alec only a moment to realize exactly what kids that Max would be referring to. "JK's unit?" he asked and Gem nodded.

"That would be them," she agreed. "I think she wanted to make sure the new girl was settling in all right."

"Okay," Alec nodded. "I know where they're lodged. Took Remy over there myself." He smiled tightly at Gem. "Thanks."

"Not a problem," she said in way of farewell as she shut her door behind him.

Alec was starting to get slightly hot under the collar as he made it back to street level. He was thinking that maybe it would have been more prudent just to write a note and slip it under her door.

And the more he walked and thought, the more he arrived at the decision that if she were not present at the lodging for the younger X-6's under the watchful eye of some of the older transhumans, then he was going to return to his apartment and do exactly that. Of course, that would be after he checked in with the perimeter gard rotation to make sure she hadn't taken off completely.

Yuri, a short, incredibly pale, like no sun in her entire life, transhuman, nearly as old as Joshua, was on evening duty. There was a rotation of live in mediators present within the X-6's lodgings. While they were just as much trained soldiers, they were also younger and didn't have as much real world experience as the other older series and operatives. It had, after seeing some of the mischief some of the kids had gotten to in the first few weeks, been agreed that someone needed to oversee the group and be available to them for the unique problems they were experiencing.

That by no means meant that they had no contact with any others. Everyone knew that the X-6 and 7's created friendships within their own units, outside their units and with various personnel around Terminal City. That was not discouraged at all. They also had assignments around the city to see to, to help fill up time on their hands.

Alec greeted Yuri, who was lounging in the motel that they had chosen for the lodgings. It made sense, since the relatively small building was ideally suited for this type of dormitory style housing. All of the lodgers had to either go by the night reception desk when coming or going or go through a window. And since all of the windows were too damn small for most of the 6's to go through, the night shift was able to keep fair track of them. Not that they were confined to quarters, it was just usual for the kids to stop and talk a moment with whomever was on duty. They understood very well the need to be aware of their people's positions in the city in case trouble went down. Not many balked at this. A lot less than Alec would have thought, until he thought about the more stringent restrictions that Manticore had kept these kids under. And all of them, really.

"Hey Yuri," he grinned as he allowed himself to prop his ass down on the edge of one of the arm chairs in the lobby. "Anything exciting tonight?"

"Not particularly," Yuri shook her blond white hair, not taking her eyes from the book she held after she'd given Alec a cursory glance when he'd entered. "And she's not here."

"Who's not here?" Alec near parroted automatically. He saw Yuri's lips curve into a grin, though she kept her face down. Only for a moment though, because when she finally turned the page and then used her finger to mark her page in the book, she glanced up, completely at ease, her face nuetral.

"Max," she stated simply. "I assume you were here looking for her. But she left about half an hour ago."

Alec rolled his eyes and sighed deeply. Of course. "Well, you assumed right. I've been chasing her all over friggin' TC to deliver a stupid message from Luke. 'Bout ready to give up and head home."

"Well," Yuri grinned again and allowed Ale to see it. "Since that's where she said she was heading, I thinking that would be the best course of action."

Weary of the day's events, both real and imagined, Alec simply stood, turned to the door and left the motel lodgings. The sky had continued to clear off and in his travels it had gotten progressively darker until they were hovering on the verge of night. Internal lights, such as they had, were beginning to come on, though only were necessary to conserve their energy resources. Sure, they were diverging it off of other supply lines, but it still made sense.

It was as he was on the quickest route home that he knew, that Alec was startled out of his half numbed state of mind that he had achieved through forced decision to be that way, by a very familiar, very terrified shriek that was mixed with pain.

_Max!_

The thought, combined with a sudden surge of adrenaline that his body responded with, had him running before conscious thought really caught up. And even as he responded in the manner he had trained himself to, when it came to her, he had to admit, that all those plans and ideas and plots to dig her out of his heart were completely in vain.

There was no way that he could let anything happen to her. Whether he liked it or not, in this moment, in this time, he was irrevocably wound up in her. And it wasn't likely to change any time soon.


	16. Breaking New Ground

Title: The Waking Hours

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.

Rating: PG-15

Pairing: M/A

Summary: Dreams don't often come true for Manticore-bred soldiers. So when the chance comes along for Alec, he's not quite sure how to take it.

Spoilers/ Time line: Sequel to Dream Within.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first, please.

Chapter Sixteen

Breaking New Ground

The screams continued as he ran. The change in tone and tremor differed, though he didn't realize it until he had burst into the decrepit old building that the noise was emanating from. Alec was stopped short though by the extremely odd sight of Max taking on an invisible foe with a two by four in hand.

His eyes darting around, searching out the danger, his body tensed instinctively, crouching slightly, he advanced. Listening now to what she was saying, rather than just reacting.

"Stupid, stinking son of a whore-!" she growled as the two by four swung through the air. "Filthy little piece of-! Die, you bastard!" She shrieked again and danced backwards, right into Alec's suddenly upraised arms. The shriek that she had emitted prior to that were like babies compared to this as she whirled around, blooded wood raised again, before she saw who it was. "Alec!" she gasped. "You scared the hell outta me," she admitted breathlessly. And then with a frown, shoved at his hands.

"Kinda like me when I thought the whole of the Familiar army was comin' down on your head?" he asked archly. Her brows pulled together, confusion coloring her face.

"Huh?"

"You, screaming, old board, attacking... what?" he enumerated for her and then took a moment to glance over her shoulder. There seemed to be nothing there until his eyes lit on the floor. "A rat? Seriously?" The adrenaline bled from his body as he twitched slightly at the splattered organs raw and obvious on the ground.

"Oh for..." Max began heatedly and then glanced at the thick board in her hand before dropping it. The clatter echoed only slightly and Max inched away from the rat corpse on the floor. "It dropped outta nowhere on my shoulder. Tried to take a bite out of me. How the hell was I supposed to react?" she demanded harshly.

"Did it get you?" Alec asked quickly, relieved to turn away from the sight of the small animal. He didn't really want to know, but it kinda looked like she had brained it pretty good. Before she could even answer, he was pulling her hair back, checking over her face, neck, ears and surprisingly, she stood still to let him.

"Don't think so," she murmured. One hand came up to smooth at her hair. She pulled her fingers through it on her right side and turned her face, trying to see. "Damn it, little bugger took a chunk of my hair."

"You're lucky that's all it seemed to take," Alec sighed, though given where her fingers where, a secondary check of the skin in that area seemed prudent. But everywhere his fingers and eyes probed, there was smooth unblemished skin. "Who knows what diseases that thing could have. Rabies, uh... germs... maybe dysentery." That at least got a laugh out of her.

"Yeah, it's real lucky that I had my hair down," she agreed. And then fixed him with a baleful stare. "And also real lucky that we're probably immune to rabies and germs and dysentery, which I didn't know that rats spread."

"Bio-rat," Alec snarked back quickly, as his pulse finally began to settle from the fright it had been given. "Livin' in this place, who knows what it's capable of transmitting?"

"Long life, apparently," Max snorted, now finger combing through her hair once more. Alec couldn't tell if she were looking for something or just trying to restore order. Possibly both. "Only thing worse would be a cockroach right?"

"Gah," Alec complained instantly. "I know they're to be admired for the industrious indestructibility, but have you ever seen them come boiling up out of your underwear just as you're getting ready to put them on?" He shuddered at the memory of it, even as Max giggled.

"Uh, no," she commented and patted his shoulder. "You'll have to tell me about that some time."

"Nuh, once was too much," he groaned. Now that the crisis seemed over, he recalled that he had had a message for her, but Max had turned away from him and had returned to an unsteady counter on the far side of the room. He could see that she had a notepad and pencil there. It also must have been where the rat attack occurred, since she gave the ceiling the stink eye before returning to her paper. "So what are you doing down here?" he wondered aloud.

"Just... thinking," she hedged and Alec knew right away that it had to be something more.

"Thinkin' about what?" he demanded gently, approaching the counter she stood at. There was movement from her as if she wanted to hide what she had been working on, but she seemed to stay her hand. Which Alec found odd. If Max didn't want him knowing, then it usually entailed a physical scrap to get what she had or wanted away from her. But this time, he was able to easily look over her shoulder. There on the pad of paper laying on the flat surface, was a crude facsimile of the room they were standing in. Except, the area was full of additions and Alec was squinting to read in her tiny chicken scratch, just what it was she was filling the place up with.

"What do you think?" she asked suddenly, as if she had been holding question and breath until it just burst out of her. Alec blinked and moved so that he was standing next to her instead of behind her. Reaching for the pad of paper to bring it closer to his face, he staved her off with a mild soft grunt.

"Does that say pull taffy?" he wondered aloud.

"Huh?" she demanded, reaching for the paper. He was fully prepared to defend and snatch it out of reach, but instead, she just pushed slightly at his wrist, lowering it so that she could peer at the paper as well. Then she let go and scoffed. "No! Alec, it says pool table!"

"Oh, so sorry highness," he scoffed, trying to ignore the way his skin tingled where her fingers had brushed against him. "Your writing is like trying to decipher hieroglyphs."

"Shut up," she groaned, but then chuckled. "Yeah sorry, I was in a rush. Not a lot of room."

"Yeah, I see that," he agreed softly, surprised that she wasn't really taking that much offense. "Walk me through it," he commanded and tossed the paper back on the counter. Instead of that though, she pulled the paper back to herself and made a few more notes. Then pushed it towards him again, a grin on her face.

"Does that help?" she chuckled, pointing to the new header she had added.

"The "All-Nighter"?" he asked dubiously and then laughed as well. "Geez Max, you planning some sort of high end brothel or somethin'?"

"No!" she protested immediately, but was laughing as well. "The reinforcing of the walls alone to withstand that would take too long. Not to mention actual soundproofing of rooms." She gave him a nudge with her elbow and when he glanced down at her, responded immediately to her smile. "Plus, thinking that some of the older kids could visit occasionally, mmm, not really the best example, you know?" she gave him a wink that startled him for several reasons.

"So uh," he began but had to clear his throat. "So what are you planning?"

"Well," she drawled slowly, letting the paper rest again and leaning her elbows on the counter. "I guess I had more of a... a recreation room sort of thing here."

"A rec room?" he repeated. She nodded quickly and then the words began to flow quickly.

"Yeah, I mean, not everyone is as lucky with their housing like those of us that got here first or are in command," she began and Alec would have protested that, had he been able to get a word in edgewise. "We all know that everyone needs to have some down time and a place to relax that isn't always necessarily home. And I was thinkin this place could be it. There's room through that door for a kitchen. Wouldn't be anything fancy, but there's a stove. I'm sure we can rig up some refrigeration for it. Maybe stock some non-perishable snacks. Or people can bring their own. Just as long as everyone knows to share. And we can bring in some couches, chairs, a pool table, eventually of course, since I know we don't have that right now. Just a place to sit and relax with friends. Maybe some music. And if we can get our hands on it, some liquor every once in a while."

"Well, that sounds great Max," Alec was finally able to intercede, "but don't you think-!"

"Oh I know," she enthused again. "We'll have to be careful getting it and having it here. But you know, if everyone kind of keeps an eye on everyone else, especially the kids. I mean, it's not like sneaking a few shots are gonna kill them. But we can set up a schedule if we wanna party and make sure the kids are occupied with something else."

"No Max, that's not what I meant," Alec sighed.

"And of course, we'll keep an eye on those who are on duty," she went on, seemingly oblivious to his words, if not his presence. "Though I think everyone's responsible enough to police themselves, don't cha think?"

"Yeah, probably," he agreed quickly. "But I was just thinking..." he trailed off, hoping that her curiosity would get the better of her. And it did as she beamed up at him.

"Thinking what?" she asked. "Don't you like it?"

"Huh?" he gaped at her for a second before recovering. "Yeah, oh yeah, of course Max. How could I not? You'd just think that something like this would have been my baby," he grouched and was rewarded with a laugh.

"It probably was," she retorted, not unkindly. "You've probably had the idea of a bar fulminating in that brain of yours for forever. And probably still thinking and schemin' on ways you could get around me to accomplish it."

"Well," he winced, seeing that she was right on the money about that. At least, in the old days it would have been like that.

"And," she continued, raising her voice slightly, "you would have got it done, at least the booze part, where you and your cronies would meet in secret, thinking you were outsmarting everyone, which you would for a while, but we'd catch on, I'd storm in and there'd be hell to pay, while you try to charm your way out of trouble before it all descended into a pissing match about our perceived failings projected onto each other." She finally took a breath and grinned up at him. "That sound about right?"

"Pretty much," he nodded slowly and then shook his head. "Are we that predictable?"

"No, not at all," she dead panned and then cracked up laughing. Alec was helpless but to join her, shaking his head again.

"So why then?" he wondered, gesturing to the paper once more. "You're just gonna bypass all that and go ahead with this?"

"Well, I heard all your arguments in my head already," she sighed, but it was more a happy sound than one of frustration. "Cause we're that predictable, right? And I really didn't have any argument against the idea in principal. It will take some time to get this accomplished. And if we're gonna be thinking about the welfare of our people, well, it's not all security measures and supplies, right?"

"No," he answered softly, watching the dim light filtering into the building dance in her eyes. "It's not." He turned his face away quickly as she turned her face up to his again. He could feel the emotion written all over his face, but he wasn't sure that he was ready for her to see it. The thoughts, the uncertainties ,the emotional roller coaster that he had been on for days now was still too new and delicate. He could admit to himself that even as much as he had always purported to be all right, he was not dealing well with these new and puzzling changes. In her and in himself. They stood in silence for a moment, as Max doodled in a few more things and Alec watched. She added a foosball table and a dart board to the drawing and he smiled. It almost looked like she was trying to recreate Crash, her home away from home. Not that that was a bad thing.

"So," she began, breaking the momentary silence. "Was there any reason in particular you were over this way?"

"Huh? Oh yeah," Alec nodded, breaking out of his reverie. "Luke wanted to let you know that he had your stuff."

"Okay, good," she nodded and gathered up the paper. "I suppose we should keep this between ourselves for now?"

"Unless we want a riot on our hands," Alec retorted dryly, completely in tune with what she was thinking. Or at least he hoped he was. "It's gonna take a while. Especially," he decided as he glanced again at the dead rodent on the floor, "since we might wanna bait and destroy the vermin population first."

"Agreed!" she announced vehemently, causing Alec to chortle.

"So, uh," he began when the mirth died down. "You got any idea's as to who is gonna get assigned that detail. And I can already tell ya, it won't be me."

"Their beady little eyes freak you out," Max nodded along knowingly. Alec tilted his head just slightly.

"How'd you know that?" he asked suspiciously. It wasn't like there had ever been a time that he had told her that, or it having come up when she was in hearing range. In fact, there probably wasn't any time that he had specifically said so.

"Uh, everybody hates rats, Alec," Max grinned widely. "And that's always the reason they use. And it's just at the top of a long list for me. Plus, you always mentioned the rats every time we had to use the sewers, escape through sewers or search said sewers."

"Oh," he grunted. That was eminently reasonable as a line of logic. All true and her supposition was correct. "We getting out of here?" he asked as Max stepped away from the counter. It wasn't that it was a bad place, but there was the dust factor such that he felt on the verge of sneezing every ten seconds.

"We're going," Max nodded. "For some reason, I really feel the need to boil a little water, take a little bath."

His eyes widened as usual at the instant visuals those words brought to mind and her amused, muffled chuckle did break through the haze. But when he looked back to her, her face was serious, though her eyes were twinkling in the filtered light. "The vermin you know," she added before taking off through the door. "See ya tomorrow Alec!" she called back over her shoulder. He stared after her and wondered what she thought he had to do. His day was done and he had intended to head home and relax the rest of the evening.

Of course, his brain whispered o him, letting Max go on ahead, giving her plenty of time to heat that water and slide into her bathtub... Alec shuddered, wondering if he was in for a repeat performance of last time. Although, it wasn't that bad, as experiences went, but really, he was male enough to admit that he'd rather have the real thing. And that real thing was a little too much... too much... It was just too much.

But even as Alec determinedly ambled his way home, his steps were slower true, but not dragging in the least.

Alec was in a much better frame of mind the next morning.

Despite all the confusion and the back and forth of the previous day, because really, as much as he internally declared his dedication to not being sucked back into the despair of the situation between he and Max he'd been there all along. It might have all been in his head at that point, but it was exhausting.

But at the same time, if they'd been predictable, as Max had pointed out, then he really would have been a hurting puppy at the end of the day. But somehow, ending on the high note that they had, ended up easing things so much for him. He still wasn't sure of where he stood with her, where she stood with him, not sure of a lot of things really. But sometime during the night, something had relaxed and when he had woken, it was with the renewed realization that he had a chance to figure it all out. If he just quit hanging on so tight, then maybe he'd see more than just a thing or two here and there in a new light. He needed to see it all that way.

Feeling so much lighter now than he had in months, literally months, maybe even back to before he met Max, he headed to her apartment, intent on getting that fresh start. But what he heard made him pause. His heart jumping into his throat as emotions tumbled through him that he might have erroneously, in his desire to just be okay, skimmed over in that column of okay-ness.

"How's that?" a vaguely familiar male voice asked. Alec frowned as he tried to place it. It wasn't familiar enough that he heard it every single day, but in the recent few weeks, he was sure...

"That," Max giggled, sounding absurdly pleased, "is a very good length. Just right."

"Glad you think so," the male chuckled. "You know, despite what you've heard, I actually don't do this much."

"Well," Max sighed, sounding very relaxed, "maybe it's not the amount of experience you have, but what you choose to do with it. My God, your hands are magic. Not just your hands, your very fingers make my skin tingle."

Alec felt a pain in his chest and started doubling over, holding a fist to his sternum as black spots danced in his vision.

"Well, thank you very much," the male chuckled. "That's about the nicest thing a girl has said to me recently."

"Well you deserve it," Max threw back hurriedly. "Talent like yours should be taken seriously."

"Like you did," the male's voice was soft, but Alec, deadly focused on the door that was the only barrier between himself and... his hypersensitive ears heard it all. "I'm really, really glad you called me Max. I mean, sleep would have been nice. But I guess staying up all night, going at it like we did, I really appreciate what you gave me. What you said, it meant a lot."

"I'm glad," Max replied just as quietly. "And just... don't ever sell yourself short. Like I said, we, especially us women around here are lucky to have you. They're going to be coming, knocking down your door in droves after they see my smiling face this morning."

"You do glow, you know," the male laughed, sounding joyful and the black spots in Alec's vision increased. He felt his jaws working, alternating between grinding his teeth together and gaping to pull in oxygen that his brain seemed to demand as necessary. How could his body focus on this... losing her was like losing his reason for being alive. He'd never had a chance. Never got to...

"Well," the male continued, a little louder now. "Let me get you a towel and dry you off. Don't want you dripping all over the place."

"Thanks," Max offered. "You really are a sweetie." There was muffled noises behind the door that Alec was having trouble making out. And then, startling everyone, the door opened.

Alec glanced up from his hunched over position, recognition flaring in his eyes. And before he knew it, his fists were in the other guys jacket, yanking him through the portal. It happened so quickly, he couldn't even think of what he was doing, reacting on instinct. He felt nothing, not the pain in his fists, the cramps in his fingers, the other male's attempts to defend himself, or even the smaller hand wrapped around his bicep.

"Alec! Alec! Oh my God! Alec stop!"

He did however, feel when his arm connected with her and everything stopped. Terrified as he stared for a microsecond at his opponent before forcing himself to turn to see the damage he had wrought.

Max was on the floor, her back against the wall, her left hand, cradling her cheek, high up, staring at him with large, frightened eyes. Her body trembled as everything came rushing in on him at once.

"Max..." it came out soft, imploring, but she shook her head slowly at him.

"Don't," she snapped. "Just... don't."


End file.
